


Battle Academia

by FancyTeacup



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - High School, Character Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Plot, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-03-06 08:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 95,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18847681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FancyTeacup/pseuds/FancyTeacup
Summary: From being an orphan and a thief, to studying at a prestigious school for special people. Will Ezreal ever really fit in? As he keeps going he finds love, friendship and family. [EzrealxLux]Story gets pretty dark.





	1. Prologue

Every night was quiet for him. He had gotten used to the calmness that the darkness allowed. Not at first, but eventually he had made his peace with it.

He liked to have his desk tidy, his hands clean. It was mostly an impulsive thing if he was honest with himself, but he couldn't stop the urge to keep his hands clean all the time.

The thin light from his flashlight was the only thing that seemed to pour some light in these empty vast rooms. All he could hear was the sound of his footsteps and the beat of his heart. Every night. But not tonight.

A loud thump reached his ears. He was already alert. His blood was pumping. Instinctively, his right hand moved towards his gun that was placed in his belt.  _Maybe it was just the wind,_  he thought.  _Perhaps it knocked over a book or something._  Mostly to calm himself. Nothing ever happens here anyway.

Except for the missing books. But that was none of his problems. Probably Miss Fortune, the librarian had messed up again. The young girl was still new to this job  _and probably in this line of work entirely.._  He allowed himself to muse.

But if there was an intruder, he would have had a million places to hide in here. The large room was full of shelves and bookcases. Big desks were placed in the middle of the library. Peculiar artefacts behind glass. Masks, swords, mantles, wands. Anything you could imagine.

He walked slowly to the place where he assumed the sound had come from. He quickly noticed a fallen book. From where he stood, he could clearly spot some muddy footprints right next to it. Cold sweat started to drip from his forehead as he pulled the safety from his gun.

With steady movements, he followed the footprints until they suddenly came to a halt.  _How? Where could the intruder have possibly gone? Did he fly or something?_  His thoughts were still mixed up, when he heard a loud bang from the opposite direction.

He was quick to turn his head and run there. He could see the yellow circle from his flashlight jumping up and down as he ran as fast as he could.

Now the muddy footprints led him once again straight to his perp. There was no way out of this for him. He just didn't know it yet. He smiled as he sprinted across the room. He knew this place better than anyone and he chuckled at the thought of his perp being dumb enough to walk right into a dead end. He stopped. "There is no reason for this to turn into a violent night", he said raising his gun to point to the intruder's back.

He could see his blond hair, almost falling to his shoulders. The perp slowly lifted his hands up in the air. He was holding a large book in his right one. And on his other one, it seemed to him that he was wearing an exceptionally strange glove. It looked oddly familiar. The guard's attention quickly shifted to his worn out coat.

"Turn around. Slowly", the guard ordered the wannabe thief. And so he did. He squinted his blue eyes at the light of the flashlight blinding him. _This is just a kid.._  The man thought.

"Alright.. You got me.", the intruder said. He sounded way more cocky than the situation he was in, allowed him to be.

The guard came from behind to cuff him. THe sound of the cuffs wrapping around his wrists echoed in the giant room. He could feel the filth in the boy's hands. He even seemed malnurished. The guard couldn't help but wonder how the hell he managed to pull off this stunt. Having to bear with this filth against his skin made him wanna vomit. He preferred the cold metal of the handcuffs. Until that was all he was left with.

"Over here!", the boy said smiling while he sat on top of a book case. The guard looked at the handcuffs in his palms before he stumbled towards him. 

"Not even close", said the blonde switching to the bookcase at the other end of the narrow corridor. The guard kept running around like a cat trying to capture a laser.

Every time he thought he would finally reach him, the boy would just switch places. At this point, the thief was running on top of the book cases, while the guard was following suit from the floor. It was like blinking. He was just appearing and disappearing on a whim, all the while he was laughing and making fun of the man. All of a sudden, the guard stopped on his tracks and shot him.

For a split second, the boy thought the guy missed. Then waves of electric shock went through his entire body and he could tell his limbs where twitching.

"I can't believe you just tazed me", the boy said feeling his eyes heavy and his body limp as he fell from the bookshelf.

* * *

His vision was still blurry. That much was certain. What wasn't certain was whether the fall had caused him any permanent brain damage. Because he could clearly see a gray cat wearing glasses as she floated on a flying book. He looked at it suspiciously and oddly enough, IT seemed to do the same. The blonde boy tilted his head to the side and the cat repeated his actions. He pulled out his hand in an attempt to pet the cat, but panic ensued.

"Where's the gauntlet?!", he exclaimed furiously.

"Ah yes.. Nice gauntlet you have there", said a woman's voice in a posh accent.

"Who said that?", asked the boy. The woman cleared her throat. The blonde looked at the cat in disbelief. He even squinted his eyes at it. "Hello", she said.

A childlike scream escaped his mouth and he tried to make an escape, jumping out of his bed. But the cat was faster. She came and jumped on his left shoulder making the boy relax in an instant. Now he was feeling much more calm. 

"Who are you? I mean.. ehm.. what are you?", he asked confused.

"So that's how it is?", the cat said circling around him. "You just barge into my school and you have no idea who I am"?

"Uhm.. about that.. I'm.. sorry?", he said giving the cat a cheeky smile and hoping he sounded somewhat believable in his apology.  _Wait.. Did a cat just say that she owns a school?_

"You're not fooling anyone Ezreal", she said, "so don't even bother".

"How do you know my name"?  
"I know a lot of things", she said mysteriously. "I know your name, as well as that the gauntlet you're wearing is an ancient treasure. Namely, the gauntlet of Ne'Zul."  
_Isn't that a Shuriman legend?,_  Ezreal pondered.

"So tell me, Ezreal, why did you take it from the library"?

"I just found it", he whispered. His eyes focused on his now bare hand.

"Do you know what that gauntlet actually does"?

"Well duh, I've used it!", he said sarcastically.

"Do you know that my best students couldn't make it work? They couldn't make it work like you do?", she asked. Her voice was now serious, leaving no room for silly jokes.

Ezreal frowned. 

"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name", he said.

"I'm principal Yuumi. The director of this establishment. And I'll have you know that the whole purpose of this academy, is to teach talented people how to use their very special gifts".

Ezreal seemed starstruck for a second.

"I don't want to hear any excuses, so I won't ask why you did what you did. But know this. The next time you come into my school, I want you to do that using the front door. As a student", Principal Yuumi's tone showed such determination, that Ezreal couldn't refuse the offer.

* * *

He thought he looked ridiculous. For him it was probably the first time in a while that he was seeing himself wearing something different from his brown, leather jacket and his blue scarf.

His reflection was staring at him, tauntingly in his mind. The school uniform seemed like the standard rich-kids-in-high-school dress code to him. But he appreciated the simplicity.

He was wearing an all black outfit. Jacket, pants and tie.  _Appart from the white shirt everything screams funeral,_  he laughed as he was checking out the academy's crest on his jacket. It was a golden sword above a shield with two golden stars on its sides.

He couldn't complain. Principal Yuumi made sure everything was perfect and reassured him that he would fit in. After all, he was as gifted as all the other students if not more. Yuumi had given him more than he could ask for. New clothes, food and most importantly. A place he could call home. Not that he really felt that the dorm was his home yet, but he had to admit that it was growing on him.

"I'm leaving this to your hands. For now", principal Yuumi had decided and allowed Ezreal to have the gauntlet. He couldn't be grateful enough, for the principal's kindness. All he had to do now was to repay this. Somehow.

His signature goggles crowned the top of his head ever since forever. But somehow, they felt somewhat off when he was wearing this outfit.

Eventually he took them off, revealing a huge mess underneath. His hair was so messy. Going like this was not a viable option. After all, who knows? Girls might be watching... He smirked at his reflection and tied some of his hair up. When he made sure he looked decent enough he was good to go.


	2. Meetcute

Ezreal had searched for the main entrance all around the building but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to find it. The library that he had previously broken into, was in a different building, so his shoplifting days are not much of help here. He had looked around trying to find some classmates to ask but everyone seemed to simply be.. gone. For a split second he thought he saw a black shadow out the corner of his eye. "Hey wait!", he shouted at the shadow and took a turn at the place he last spotted it..

And consequently.. bumping into it.

"Ouch", she said dramatically with a smile in her face.

"Sorry.. uhm..?", he smiled waiting to hear her name.

"It's Luxanna. I assume you have a name as well", she retorted. Oh. The blond chuckled.

"I'm Ezreal."

"Nice to meet you Ezreal", she gave him her hand in a greeting.  _And my heart on my sleeve,_  he mused. "First year?", she asked pointing at his uniform. She was wearing the exact same black uniform, except for a skirt instead of pants.

"Is it that obvious? I'm actually lost here", Ezreal replied trying to sound charming enough for her to help him.

"No", she laughed, "I just gathered that from your uniform. Only first years wear that."

"Well, I didn't know that. Good thing I bumped into you then", he smiled. The girl was beautiful. She had long red hair, all tied up in a ponytail, except for a few strands of hair complimenting her face and bringing her bright blue eyes the attention they deserved.

"Well, I'm lucky. My brother is a student here. He's a senior so he warned me about the hidden entrance. They use it as kind of a test for the rookies. Just follow me and you'll be fine."

 _Hidden entrance? Maybe I could have used the gauntlet to get inside. But I'm not that sure that I know exactly how this thing works. The other day, it was pure luck, if I'm honest._  But really it's no use thinking about all that.  _Let's just follow the pretty girl,_  he thought as he walked alongside her.

"Nice glove you have there", she noticed.

"Oh that old thing? It's a family jewel."  _Kind of._

"That gem on it, sure is shiny."  _Typical girls. They gotta love shinning things._  All the girls he had met in his life craved for jewels, diamonds and pearls. Which constantly put him in trouble. But it was an impressive gem. After all that's how it had first gotten his attention in the dark.

"What can I say? My ancestors were pretty eccentric fellas". If only I knew any of them. He had an uncle he knew that much, but the old bastard couldn't care enough to be a part of his life. He could at least send him a monthly allowance or something. The guy owned a freaking museum as far as he knew.

"Here we go", she exclaimed. But there was nothing in front of her. Just a stone wall.

She touched the wall with her hand and closed her eyes. Shortly after he could see light. Small beams of light were coming out of her palm and after that, the light was spreading all through the wall. Her hand was at the center of it. A door had formed out of the light particles and Ezreal was dumbfounded.  
She turned to see his awestruck facial expression and he quickly snapped out of it to make himself look cool. She cackled.

"We should probably hurry. I think we're late. They might have already started the ceremony", she said running.

"The what?"

"You seriously don't know?", she halted for a second. "The sorting ceremony! To assign clubs!" She grabbed his hand and started to run with him again.

"What do you mean clubs? I thought clubs weren't mandatory".

"Well, let's just head inside and you'll see".

* * *

The room was huge. It was an amphitheater. They had rushed to their seats in the front along with the other first years, all in their black uniforms. The other seats were packed with students showing off their coloured uniforms. Ezreal noticed they were wearing green, blue, purple and even red. Everyone looked so.. proper.  _Exactly how am I supposed to fit in here, Yuumi?_

Speak of the devil, Principal Yuumi still on her signature flying book, headed straight to the podium and welcomed the newcomers.

"Wait, that's not right.. Professor Yuumi got a promotion? I thought Marcus Du Cuteau was principal", said Luxanna.

"Congratulations on being chosen to be our students. You have been chosen because every single one of you posesses a great talent. A talent than can be used efficiently in perilous times. And those times might be coming for us all, I'm afraid. It's for the best to have the best defenders to try and save us all. This is your purpose young students. And to better utilize your talents, our school does this in the form of our four clubs."

Smoke was coming from behind her, a purple light was projected on it along with an intricate design of a purple sword.

"The Assassin Club, also known as Warband. The ones who don't hesitate to take the difficult decisions to ensure we come out of the battle victorious."

The smoke had turn into green now and an emerald fire was burning in the middle of it. "The Sorcery Club or The United, as they call themselves. Whenever we think our fight is lost, they turn it around through their determination and teamwork.", he saw Luxanna flinching.

Red smoke. A shuriken shape appeared with three circles around it.

"And now for the Battle Club. The Faceless. If you're truly one of a kind, welcome home". Ezreal's heart skipped a beat. "Courageous and full of nerve to try out new tactics, no one's ever dared before".

A blue eye appeared in the smoke. "And last but not least, the Luminary Club. The Council. Always one step ahead of their opponents. Utilizing their intelligence and outsmarting the enemy with their flawless strategic decisions", Ezreal noticed Luxanna's grin.

All four crests of the clubs were now in line, behind Principal Yuumi. Ezreal looked at the students in front of him. They were all laughing, trying to guess what club they're in. But then he noticed Luxanna biting her fingernails. She looked extremely nervous.

"Hey, are you okay?", he asked worried.

"It's fine. I'm just nervous. My family's been in The Council for ages, so you know.. I don't want to be the black sheep", she tried to make herself laugh a bit.

"You have nothing to worry about. In the end I'm sure you'll make the right choice".

She laughed at him, "Ezreal you really know nothing about this school. Where did you even come from"?

_Mental Note: Don't say you are only here because you've unsuccesfully attempted to steal priceless artifacts._

"You don't get to choose, Ezreal", she said seriously.

"Oh. Well.. I hope we're in the same Club then, if it matters". He thought he saw her blushing a little before someone called her name. A tall, muscular boy came in front of them.

"How are you doing little girl?", the guy said patting her in the head. He was wearing a black jacket with blue details and a blue tie. He looked like a giant next to her. Ezreal felt a sting in his stomach for some reason he couldn't explain. "Who's your friend?", he asked looking at Ezreal. _I could ask the same question,_  he thought.

"Oh, his name is Ezreal, he's a first year as well. We're not friends, I've just been showing him around the place, that's all".  _That's cruel. But I'm okay with that. At least I'm out of the friendzone._  He made an evil laugh in his head.

"Hey", he made a handshake with the tall guy who had already extended his hand first.

"I'll be watching you", he mouthed when Luxanna wasn't looking and left. Ezreal raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm.. Who was that?", Ezreal asked Luxanna.

"That was my brother, Garen.I told you about him before. He just doesn't really like his little sister being around boys. Don't mind him", she said half embarassed half laughing.

Principal Yuumi continued her speech. "Everyone back to your seats. We will now proceed with the sorting ceremony".


	3. The Test: Part 1

"You're not going to be aware that you're being tested. This trial is designed to bring out your most primal insticts. Everything you see comes directly from your subconscious. People you may have walked past on the street. People you thought you hadn't even paid attention to, are all here", Principal Yuumi touched her round glasses.

"You're goint to be brought to this very stage in groups of three", she continued. "And to make matters most interesting for the viewers, we are going to show the audience exactly what is going on in everyone's mind in the smoke screen behind the candidates".

Three students are called to the stage at once. Ezreal notices the first one. A girl with light pink hair. _She looks beautiful,_  he thought. She had her arms folded. When she turned around, Ezreal couldn't help but notice a large scar on her eyelid. He should have felt sorry for her but her solemn expression signified that she didn't need or expect sympathy from anyone.

Following suit, a girl with bright, colourful floating hair and big eyes. Once she got on stage, she started to jump up and down and do cartwheels.

"Well, at least someone is excited", Ezreal said to Luxanna smugly as they were applauding the students arriving on stage.

The red haired girl was still white as a sheet but she forced a smile at his comment.

The last student was a really pale, bald kid. He seemed so..  _harmless_. Ezreal tried to imagine what his talent could be, but he came up with nothing. Nothing seemed to.. suit him?  _This boy can't be dangerous,_  he concluded.

Three chairs had been placed at the center of the stage. Yuumi's assistants had already handed the three students a glass of water and everyone was eagerly waiting for the test to begin.

"Now. Once you drink this your body will fall asleep. As I said before you will not be aware that you are in a simulation. Everything will look and feel real. Your goal is to retrieve a golden coin. If you die in the simulation you will simply wake up here".

"I hope I make it this year", Luxanna said. "If you fail to join a club, you're going to have to wait for an entire year to retake the test and join the school".

"I wish the best of luck to every single one of you", Principal Yuumi said in a motherly tone. The students drank in unison. The crowd had gone completely silent and the tension in the room was tangible. In the smoke screen, a girly figure with big, floating hair was jumping and laughing, playing with a yo-yo, while her body was right in front of her. Asleep.

"I have to get this coin", she said to herself in the simulation. "Why though?" she wondered. "Oh well!" was her quick retort.

She jumped on the ground and the setting was changed. She was in.. _space?_  A giant dragon was flying in the sky with multiple stars circling his body. Almost as if they were protecting him. Ezreal was left with his mouth open, but he was quick to cover it with his hands.

Around the dragon's neck was a necklace and the girl spotted the shiny coin on it. "Aha!" she exclaimed and quickly jumped inside the air. Inside? _Wait. What?_  Ezreal squinted his eyes, trying to take a better look at the smoke screen. But really, the girl had jumped into thin air and suddenly reappeared in front of the dragon, stealing the necklace and returning back to where she had previously been before she jumped.

"I'd really like a mooncake right now", she said while the space dragon was furiously breathing fire meters behind her.

She looked at the coin. Ezreal had already noticed the shuriken shape on it, when the girl woke up.

"How did I do?" she asked all excited. He hadn't noticed before, but one of her eyes was blue and the other one was purple.  _Weird characteristic._

"Congratulations! You're in Battle Club", Yuumi said to her smiling and the girl started to cheer before she got off stage.

The audience was now watching the bald guy's test. An angry mob of people was chasing him until he reached the inside of a dark cave.  _Shit. A dead end,_  Ezreal thought. Once everyone had surrounded him, he smiled. There was a fire in his eyes. And before long had passed the guy's entire body was covered in flames.

Burning bodies were everywhere around him. Every step he took left piles of ashes behind him. The scene was terrifying. Ezreal felt so stupid to underestimate the guy. Behind the burning mob stood a little girl.

"You." said the boy in the flames. His voice sounded otherwordly. "Give it to me".

The girl looked at him scared. The fire reflected in her dark eyes. She left the golden coin on the ground and ran away as fast as she could. The green fire symbol was on the coin.

"Sorcery Club, please welcome your newest member"!

Cheers were coming from the audience as the pale boy woke up. He smiled shyly and walked off stage.

The last girl appeared in the smoke. She was wielding two impressive daggers. She seemed to have a target. It was a man with long, white hair. A black crow on his shoulder. His black coat almost touched the ground. She only saw his back from where she stood.

He was being guarded by at least a dozen men. Probably soldiers. Their posture and alert eyes, were a big give away. But nothing they did mattered in the end.

The girl jumped through, holding her daggers firmly. She leaped everywhere with such precision and grace. And she was so fast that it seemed as if she was teleporting from place to place, slitting throats and gutting anyone she got her hands on.

When she stopped moving, they all fell simualtaneously to the ground. Including the man with the white hair. But when she got to him, she noticed that he had no face. No eyes, no mouth, no nose, no nothing. Just an empty face. She took the coin from his coat pocket.

"Assassin Club"! _Yeah, no kidding_ , thought Ezreal while he applauded with the rest of the audience.

The ceremony had been progressing really fast from that point on. Almost everyone in front of him had already been sorted into a Club. He'd seen some impressive stuff today, that was for sure. Unique abilities and many interesting people. He was looking forward to meeting his classmates and even befriending some of them. The only depressing point of the ceremony was when a girl had died in her simulation before she had a chance to get a hold of her coin. The girl had woken up and she had started to cry when she ran off stage.

"What happens now?", asked Ezreal.

"She'll just have to be patient till next year. For now she can't stay here anymore", Luxanna replied.

Ezreal couldn't help but notice that the girl's nervousness had reached new levels now. Her eyes were fixed on the stage.

"Oh come on, don't be like this, you're gonna make me nervous too", pleaded Ezreal in an effort to make her feel even slightly better.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do but please don't mind me", she retorted with a tired smile.

"Well, I can't have my first friend here looking all gloomy on the first day of school", he said. Luxanna smiled and this time her smile seemed a bit more genuine than before. Ezreal felt a happy feeling in his stomach, knowing that he had made her smile.

Her name had been called to the stage.

"Wish me luck", she whispered to him.

"You don't need it. I'm sure you'll be brilliant", he said looking at her in the eyes. The applause was so loud that he was sure only she had heard what he said. He could have sworn that he saw her blushing for a bit.

Luxanna got up on stage second, behind a tall, athletic boy with long black hair tied into a braid. A single blue strand of hair made him look a bit.. edgy.

 _Well that is just pretentious,_  Ezreal scoffed. Behind her was a girl with blue hair and yellow devil-like eyes. She even had a tail, Ezreal noticed in shock. As Luxanna was taking her seat, she looked to him. He smiled and gave her the thumbs up. She took a deep breath before the three of them took a sip from their glasses.


	4. The Test: Part 2

Both the guy with the braided hair, Ezreal found out later that his name was Kayn, and the girl with the yellow eyes, Neeko, were finished with their tests in under a minute.

Kayn had the ability to walk through walls and in the darkness that covered him he simply stole the coin and stepped out undetected. He was a Battle Club member now. Neeko had found herself in a huge building. It looked like a museum. Her coin was heavily guarded, placed behind a glass. A tiny man was in charge of the coin and everyone followed his orders. When he moved away, Neeko took his form and picked up the coin, telling the guards that plans had changed. She smiled devilishly looking at the green fire on her coin.

Luxanna was having trouble in her test. She was the only one left on stage right now. The hands of her sleeping body were clenched.

Luxanna was in a green field, but she wasn't alone. Ezreal instantly recognized her brother Garen in the vanguard trying to fight the enemy team, wielding a huge sword. Their goal was to obliterate the team and destroy their base. But Luxanna looked hopeless amongst her comrades. All she could do was blind the enemies with her light and slow them down. Her team was dying. One after the other. And all she could was hide in the backline. Garen was fighting five people alone. He was swirling his sword in every way. But he was hurt. He couldn't last any longer.

Ezreal saw the determined look on the girl's face.

"No more holding back!", she yelled.

Beams of light were being emmited for her body with extreme force towards every direction. Her eyes had turned white. Ezreal felt a hint of fear and swallowed hard. Garen looked at her puzzled.

"I'm sorry brother", was all she said to him. "I can't hide it anymore". The enemy base had been destroyed singlehandedly by her. There it was. She picked up the coin from the enemy leader's burnt corpse.

"Sorcery Club!", announced Principal Yuumi to her when she woke up.

Luxanna had a gloomy expression when she was walking off stage. Garen had walked up to her but she just ignored him, saying something to him before she got back to her seat next to Ezreal.

The boy was quick to realize that it wasn't the right time for a witty chat. His name had been called on stage anyway and he stood up. He turned to look at her one more time before he began to walk but she quickly stopped him, grabbing his hand.

"Ezreal. Good luck", she said. This time her smile was gone. Ezreal simply nodded.

He was lining up for the stage. He was the last of the three. Now he had gotten a tiny bit nervous, he had to admit so. He took his seat. The bright lights were making him squint a little. He took a sip. _It tastes sweet, didn't expect that,_  he thought.

After just a few seconds he felt like he was in free fall. No sounds, no smells, no nothing. There is something blissful in the nothingness. He didn't feel his body. It was like his very being had gathered in the center of his mind. But the feeling was pleasant.

* * *

It seemed to him, as if he was created to obtain this. He had heard stories of the spirit tomb of Ekrin and the treasures that supposedly were inside it. And the golden coin. He had been climbing up the mountain all day. At this point exhaustion was his middle name. But he kept on going up till he was right at its doorstep.

What Ezreal couldn't imagine was exactly how heavily guarded the tomb would be. The place was crowded with monks, specially trained in martial arts all their lives to protect the golden coin by all means necessary. Even sacrificing themselves in the process.

Ezreal posed as an impressionable visitor to get inside. He saw a giant hall with numerous artifacts placed in protective glass. Next to each exibit, stood an unflinching monk, holding a red spear.

Ezreal couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. But no. Now he had his eyes on the prize. The golden coin. The central exhibit of the tomb. It had drawn so much attention because people had attributed mystical powers to it through the ages.

 _I'll be coming for you._. Ezreal thought and left the building after a while. He hid in every place he deemed safe around the tomb, till it got dark. He had tried to figure out the patterns of the guards watch, but so far he had no results. None of them had left the building all day. Ezreal was pondering whether these guys were actually human at this point.

The gauntlet was the surefire way to get him inside. Although, he could only teleport for a few meters it still came in pretty handy.

He was now inside. He was walking on the tips of his toes but the place seemed vacant. Ezreal walked up to were the coin was. He took a deep breath and turned to see if anyone was watching him. Seconds before he touched the coin, the guards had circled him, pointing at him with their spears chillingly close to his neck. He gulped and raised his hands up in surrender. When he was sure they'd bought it he shifted to the other side of the room behind the coin.

"Stop him", one of the guards yelled and their reactions were so fast that he didn't have time to shift again.

"Stop! We have someone you might want unharmed", someone said to him.

Two guards came forth and held Luxanna by her arms, all tied up. A piece of cloth was wrapped around her mouth and her hair was a mess.

"Why did you follow me?", he said to her half angry, half sad.

Even though she couldn't verbally reply, her eyes were full of sorry. He took a deep breath. He seemed dead serious now.

"Let me take her with me and I promise you will never have to see me again".

He was well aware that these guys weren't the authorities. And he knew pretty damn well that they were civil people above all. The deal was struck. Luxanna walked towards him. He untied her hands and mouth and gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry Ezreal. I'm sorry", she said crying.

"It's okay Lux. We got this" he said looking to the guards and kicking down the glass of the coin. He was fighting the guards. The gauntlet was shooting beams of light towards them.

"Take it Lux! Fast!", he shouted. Luxanna took the coin and ran to him. Ezreal shifted them both outside the building right away.

But the guards were following suit. Spears and arrows were flying left and right and Ezreal was running and teleporting both of them from place to place as fast as he could until they had found a safe spot.

Ezreal lied down on the ground and sighed. He was about to lecture Luxanna on why she shouldn't be following around anymore and how dangerous what she did was, when he saw her expression.

"Ezreal? I'm not feeling very well", she said as she fell on his arms. Ezreal caught her and only then did he see the arrow that had pierced her from the back all the way out of her stomach.

"No. No. No. Lux!", he said frustrated as he tried to examine the wound. His hand was full of her blood.

"It's okay", she said smiling. "Take it", she continued as she extended her hand holding the golden coin.

"Please don't. Don't die Lux", the tears were stinging his eyes. He was trying to hold them back for her sake.

The coin was shining in her hand and he took it still holding her. When he touched it, it revealed the red shuriken engraved on it.

* * *

When he woke up he felt disoriented. Where am I? The bright lights and Yuumi's voice brought him back to reality.

"Battle Club!" he heard her saying and he quickly walked down the stage after that. What had just happened? He was moving towards his seat when he saw Luxanna giving him a playful smile.

It all had come to him. Two things were for sure: Things were going to be awkward now between them because of his stupid simulation and Garen was defintely going to give him a hard time.

"So", she started, "Lux huh"?

"Well, I think it has a ring to it", he replied trying to play it as cool as possible at this point.

"I like Lux. You can call me that", she grinned.


	5. Setting the rules

The images were deeply instilled in his brain. Just remembering the bleeding girl dying in his arms made him nauseous. He may have only just met Lux but the images themselves were so shocking to him that he couldn't get them out of his head.

When he got back to his dormroom he discovered that he had a roommate. He didn't see who it was cause he was out somewhere but the guy had filled the closet with all of his clothes leaving absolutely no space for Ezreal's.

"Oh boy.. Here we go", he whispered scratching the back of his head. And the guy's clothes were nothing but black too.

"At least he won't have to try too hard to find matching clothes", Ezreal mused.

On his bed was a big box. Ezreal opened it eagerly. Inside it was a red vest, red jacket, white tie and trousers, along with a pair of gloves. _Well, lucky that the gauntlet is already red cause I would have some serious styling issues._  He made himself laugh in his head.

* * *

"Hey wake up, we'll be late", a voice said to him nudging his shoulder.

"Why? Who is this?", Ezreal said still half asleep and gave his best shot to open his eyes. Above him stood the guy with the braided hair from the sorting ceremony, staring at him angrily.

"It's your roommate, doofus, not your mommy. And you better get ready now cause I won't be waiting long for you".

Ezreal rubbed his eyes with his fists and looked at the boy. One of his eyes seemed red but maybe it was just him. After all his brain was out of order in the morning. They both wore their red uniforms. The bright red shuriken symbol inches above where their heart was.

"I'm Ezreal by the way", he said extending his arm to the other boy.

"Kayn", he sighed and gave his hand to him reluctantly.

* * *

His classroom seemed like the standard in every school. Everyone had taken their seats already when he and Kayn came in.

He saw Lux when he came in. She was having a chat with some girls. She was wearing an orange vest along with a blue tie and a white shirt underneath, as well as a skirt. Ezreal thought that it the uniform suited her perfectly. He figured it would be the Sorcery Club's uniform. He waved at her but she hadn't noticed him, so he awkwardly hid his hand in his pocket and walked towards his seat in the back of the classroom next to Kayn's.

A few moments later, a man with broad shoulders and a red beard came in to the classroom, holding a bunch of papers. Silently, he sat at the large desk facing the students, yet completely ignoring their existence.

All of the students were quiet, visibly wondering what was going on but never uttering a word. The teacher was wearing large rectangle shaped glasses and his face was buried in a newspaper. Shortly after, he even stretched his legs on the desk.

A boy with dark hair raised his hand. "Excuse me? Sir"?

The teacher raised his finger signaling him to stop talking. Minutes later, he finally put down the newspaper.

"Now.", the teacher's voice was deep and masculine. He took a look around the classroom. All he saw was the students' puzzled expressions.

"Let's make an agreement. From now on, you won't be bothering me and I won't be bothering you. All you need to learn will be taught in the Club classrooms. I am merely this class' supervisor".

The students were silent and somewhat confused. Ezreal smiled as he decided that he liked this professor and leaned backwards on his chair with his hands stretched behind his head. A gunshot flew right next to his ear and pierced the wall behind him creating a round hole. The boy was so startled he almost fell off his chair.

"If there is one thing that I hate, that is lazy people", said the professor. I might not be teaching the most important stuff in this school. Hell, for all you know, I might not even want to be here any more than you do, but let me get this out of the way. By the end of this semester y'all are going to be split into groups. As to the number of people in each group, or which people go where, I leave it up to you because frankly, I couldn't care less. The only deal breaker is no one is left without a group. In the end, you are to figure out the group's strengths and weaknesses and beat the other groups. Got it"?

The teacher sat back and kept reading his newspaper.

A handwritten note landed on Ezreal's desk. It said "wanna be in my team?" along with a smiley face. Ezreal looked around the classroom and saw Luxanna winking at him. He grinned and nodded.

* * *

The Battle Club was in an entirely different building. Kayn was carrying a large scythe along the way. From what he learned, the building was soundproof, fireproof and generaly protected from all that could destroy it. Its walls were built with petricite which was a material that absorbed magic. As was the case with every Club building.

The classroom was dark. Only the middle of the room was lit.  
He and Kayn were stunned when they say their professor. A man fully covered in armor. His face was hidden in a mask. He was sitting with his legs crossed. Seemingly meditating.

In the beginning it was just him and Kayn along with the girl with the floating hair from the sorting ceremony. Later came a girl and a boy with dark hair. They weren't first years so they were new to Ezreal.  _Five people? That was all?_

The guy had tried to tied his hair up but the hair had such big volume that was sticking out untamed. Ezreal tried to hold his laughter. Him and Kayn looked at eachother connivingly. Even Kayn's braided hair seemed classy compared to this guy.

"Sorry, I'm late. It won't happen again", said a boy with white hair as he closed the door and bowed to the teacher.

With a swift hand movement, the professor's mask was gone. Like dust. Beneath the mask, appeared to be a man with white hair even though he must've been in his early thirties.

"Congratulations to all of you for being here", the teacher said while the girl next to them was popping her gum. The teacher gave her a deadly look.

"Sorry", she whispered with a bright smile.

"As you have noticed we don't have many students here. That is what makes you even more special. Your talents are certainly unique".Ezreal noticed Kayn was staring at the teacher mesmerized.

"And it is your way of thinking that has led you here. My name is Zed and I'm going to teach you all I know", he said before he vanished from their sight.

The old students instantly lifted their weapons in defence. The guy with the funky hair was wielding a katana while the other guy had a bow with an arrow ready to be shot. The girl wielded a handheld sickle and a dagger.

"I'm Zoe", the girl with the colourful hair said to Ezreal and Kayn, seeimingly completely unaware of her surroundings.

Multiple Zeds were attacking them from everywhere and the three newcomers were at a loss.

How is this possible? Shurikens were flying towards every direction. Kayn was slashing the Zeds but once he did they disappeared.

"It's not the real one!", the girl with the dark hair yelled at him.

"Quick get here!", shouted the boy with the sword. Everyone ran towards him as he drew a line with the sword. The line emmitted gusts of wind and the fake Zeds, the shadows, couldn't move past it. But the boy couldn't hold it for too long. They heard their teached laughing as he was was appearing in front them in flesh.

"We got work to do", he declared.


	6. The Group Meeting

The sunlight was shining on her bright scarlet hair. She waved at him cheerfully from afar.

A gloomy -as always- Kayn was dragging his feet right behind him.  _This guy better don't make me regret bringing him with me,_  thought Ezreal as he waved back at her.

"Have you been waiting for a long time here?", the boy asked her.

"Nope, don't worry about it! I just came here", she said. Her smile seemed so gentle.

Kayn wasn't even paying attention to the girl. Ezreal felt a hint of embarassement.

"I.. uhm.. this is my roommate Kayn. He doesn't have a team so I.. uh.. brought him along", he said nervously. "Is that okay"?

"Ofcourse it is! The more the merrier"! Lux extended her hand to greet Kayn properly as she introduced herself.  _The dude just seems unimpressed with everything,_  Ezreal sighed.

"Shall we?", he asked Lux trying to defuse the situation. And frankly hoping to make Kayn disappear altogether.

"Actually we are waiting for two more people", replied Lux as their classmates turned around the corner. "Oh there they are!", Lux waved frantically at them and the girl with the pink hair instantly rolled her eyes.

"Guys these are Ezreal and Kayn from the Battle Club". The pink haired girl just nodded at them while the boy gave them both a firm handshake.

"I'm Sylas".

"He's a friend from the Sorcery Club", Lux said touching his shoulder.

Ezreal thought the guy was smiling cynically at him. He felt like he was ready to hiss. He had shoulder length hair and a bit of a beard. More like a non clean shaved look.  _Oh sure he already has a beard at 16.. What a doucheboug._  The blond couldn't help but feel protective towards her when he saw him put his arm around her waist. He simply clenched his fist behind his thigh.  _I don't like this guy._

"And this is Katarina. I'm sure you remember her from the sorting ceremony", continued Lux but the girl looked nonchallant. She would be the last person he would have expected to befriend Lux, just judging by her attitude.  _She could actually be Kayn's soulmate,_  Ezreal thought mockingly.

When all five of them took off, Ezreal stayed in the back and hit Kayn on the side with his elbow.

"Ouch", mouthed Kayn surprised at the hit.

"Can you try to be more.. like a human?", Ezreal whispered at him frantically.

"Wh-What the hell dude"? Kayn took a peek at the front and saw Lux and Sylas walking side by side and then looked at his roommate.

"You have the hots for her?!", he said still whispering.

"Shhhh..! No! Ofcourse not!", he almost said that out loud. "He just seems a bit sneaky..", he whispered in Kayn's ear.

Despite the fact that he may have seemed like an unlikely match for a roommate, Kayn was gradually growing on Ezreal. And most of all he liked his straightforwardness. It was safe to say that they had come to an understanding.

* * *

"So, what's the plan"?, asked Katarina as they sat down in a small diner.

She took out a small throwing dagger and started fumbling with it. Ezreal was sitting between her and Kayn while the two lovebirds sat together. _I'm having a great time. Absolutely._

"All we know is that we are up against the rest of our class", said Sylas. "We have to figure out all their powers and get on top if we wanna win".

"But we don't exactly know what they are. All we can do is guess from what we've seen of them in the ceremony", replied Ezreal.

"Well, Professor Graves said that we need to find out our own strengths and weaknesses. So why don't we do that first?", proposed Luxanna.

_So now we have to put our cards on the table? And I still don't know exactly what my gauntlet does. Crap. I'm going to make a fool of myself._

"Okay.. if that's what it takes for us to win, I'm in", Katarina agreed. "I'm good at killing. And I'm fast".

"Any secret cards up your sleeve?", asked Kayn basically speaking for the first time to the group.

"I'm still learning.. Like you all do. But right now that's what I got to work with", she answered while she stabbed a napkin on the table.

"I can walk through walls. I know how to handle any weaponry but I prefer my scythe".

Watching the two of them chatting felt like watching a couple of robots trying to converse.

"That's great!", Lux commented. "I can.. uhm.. manipulate light", she continued shyly.

"How does that work exactly?", the blond asked her.

"To be frank I don't really know cause I've been doing that since I was little, but I can bind people. And I can slow them".

"But what about the explosion"?, asked Katarina eagerly. "We all saw that in the ceremony. What was that about"?

"I don't know Kat, I've never done that in real life. It only happened in the simulation".

"The simulation let you use everything that's in your unconscious", said Sylas.

"Which means", asked Ezreal defensively.

"That it showed her true potential", he replied staring at him dead in the eyes.

"I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to-", Lux tried to say but Katarina cut her off.

"But you can. That's a given. We all saw it. We all saw what you can do. And we have to try our hardest to beat the others".

Katarina seemed a bit too focused on the win, Ezreal concluded. But in the simulation he could use the gauntlet to hit enemies. For the past few weeks he was trying so hard to achieve that but to no avail. Maybe Sylas was right about this though. In fact in his simulation-

"Wait a second.. I don't remember your simulation", Ezreal locked eyes with Sylas.

"That's because we went up the stage together. Don't you remember me? But ofcourse.. by the time you were done, I was already off stage".

He felt a punch in his stomach and swallowed hard, all while trying to stop himself from mimicking Sylas' voice and being childish.

"I remember that guy", said Kayn nodding. "With the chains right"?

"He uses his chains to fight. They are made from a material that absorbs magic and then he releases it at will", said Lux excitedly. Even impressed. Sylas tried to play it off as if it was nothing.

"What about you", asked Katarina nodding towards Ezreal. Her hands were folded below her chest.

_What about me.._

"I can kind of teleport. Small distances..", he tried to continue with something else but Lux was staring at him eagerly. He could just lie to the others but not to her. Not when she was looking at him like that.

"You can shoot stuff too, right?", said the assassin.

"Well, I d- I don't know HOW just yet but I'm working on it", he replied. Katarina sat back at her chair. Her hands behind her head.

"I gotta tell you guys.. I'm not that confident about this team".

Everyone looked at eachother.

"We have a whole semester ahead of us to improve", said Lux half-convincingly.

"I'm here to win", Katarina banged her fist on the table making the other customers turn to look at her direction. Unphased she continued "and we need someone who can use his abilities. Not a guy who can somewhat teleport".

Everyone was silent for a second. "Do you know that you're talking about a Battle Club member?", Kayn asked her giving her a taunting look. "He has what few people have and that's why he's there. So next time, I'd advise you to think before you speak".

Ezreal was finally glad that he had brought Kayn with him. Katarina never questioned him again after that.

* * *

"I'm sorry about that", said Lux to him as they were walking out. This time she stayed in the back of the group to reach him out. "She's just.. feisty", she laughed.

"It's okay. Really", he said back to her. "Are you going back to the girls' dorm now"?

"No, no. I don't live there. I live with my parents in the city. And so does Katarina so I'm going back with her. She lives across the street from my house actually", she said. "I've known her all my life and she didn't mean to insult you. Just so you know. She's just having a hard time right now".

Ezreal was about to say something when he heard Katarina shouting Luxanna's name.

"Sorry! Gotta run!", she said touching his hand for a quick moment.

"See you", replied Ezreal but no one heard him but Kayn. She was already gone.


	7. Weapons and Polka Dots

He saw it on his desk first thing in the morning. It was a small pink box filled with polka dots and a white ribbon on top of it. He raised an eyebrow and exchanged a puzzled look with Kayn as they took their seats in the classroom. Curiously, he carefully unwrapped the box.

A heart-shaped chocolate was inside along with a note. It read: "I hope you have a sweet day".

Ezreal took the chocolate and showed it to a surprised Kayn who started to cackle uncontrollably. He felt his cheeks getting hot.  _A secret admirer?_  He looked at Lux's desk. The girl seemed to be in her own bubble, scribbling something on her notebook.  _I know what this is.. She's too embarassed to make any eye contact. She didn't even look at me on my way in. Well, it turns out no one can resist Ezreal.._  He grinned.

Professor Graves greeted the class with a simple nod as always.

"The Academy will be assigning weapons today. After all, it isn't called the Durrandal God-Weapon Academy for nothing", said the Professor. "Gah, what a pretentious name..", he mumbled to himself.

"Some of you already have a weapon, others may not even need one. But. The point is. We have a bunch of ancient weapons and such that people haven't been able to activate for ages. Every year, some of you manage to do just that for some reason. So go to the library after lunch and you'll find out what it's all about, so don't bother me with any questions. I have a headache", he said as sat down and drank his coffee.

* * *

Ezreal had been trying to reach out to Lux but weirdly enough she had stormed out of the classroom with Katarina and he hadn't seen her anywhere. The Academy's cafeteria was a huge room with a large buffet. Big tables were placed all over and hungry students were devouring their breakfasts. He spotted the girls at the other side of the room and went there smiling.

When his eyes met Luxanna's he could swear he saw her scowling. He and Kayn were holding two large red trays of food.

"Hey!", Ezreal said to the girls energetically. Lux took a quick look at him and then diverted all her attention to the plate in front of her. "Can we sit here with you guys"?

Lux gave Kat what seemed like a not-so-subtle kick under the table.

"We're actually waiting for some others so.. ", replied a startled Katarina with a mouth full of food.

"Oh.. Well then, see ya later I guess..", Ezreal told them clearly disappointed.

"You think it's the Sylas guy?", asked Kayn after they moved somewhere they couldn't hear them.

"What do you mean"?

"I mean.. Luxanna is clearly pissed. So either something happened with the Sylas guy or.."

"Or?", asked Ezreal in an almost mocking tone.

"Or you did something to her"

"What? What could I have done to her. Besides, me and Lux aren't even that close".

"Dude.. First of all. You call her by a nickname. Already. And second of all you saw her in your fucking simulation the day you met her!"

"So?", the blond asked feeling his cheeks turning a bit red.

"The entire school knows you're into her. You don't even try to hide it. But hey.. that's none of my business".

"And here I thought you were above gossip"..

* * *

Ezreal kept repeating his conversation with Kayn inside his head for what seemed like forever.  _But I like Lux.. I mean not LIKE like Lux.. But I like her.. What's wrong with that? I just want to get to know her a bit better. Same with everyone else._  He was so concentrated to his thoughts which led to him missing the entire process of students trying out various weapons. To be frank, he didn't really care about the process.. After all, he already had his own weapon.

Kayn nudged him on his shoulder. "Wish me luck".

Principal Yuumi was floating on her book and inviting the students, one after another to try out any weapon that seemed interesting to them. He saw Kayn instantly move towards a large scythe hanging on the wall.  _Oh boy there he goes again with his scythes.._  Kayn's eyes seemed to glow.

"Be careful with that", Principal Yuumi was saying as Kayn wrapped his hands around the weapon. A gust of wind filled the room and the students felt chills. A red eye opened on the scythe and Kayn started talking to himself.. at least it seemed like him.

The eye was taunting him. Asking if he was worthy, Kayn later said to him. Kayn's left hand was hardened and turned to metal. His fingers were transformed into claws. But Kayn wasn't budging. He seemed to embrace the deadly weapon's power.

Ezreal noticed all the professors were stand by. Ready to intervene if anything out of line were to happen. Even Proffesor Graves seemed uneasy with his student's choice.

"It's the Darkin Weapon", Ezreal heared one of the students say to his friend.  _What the hell is even a darkin,_  he pondered to himself. The atmosphere in the room felt heavy but all the heaviness was gone a few moments later and everyone applauded their classmate.

Kayn made his way out of the dumbfounded crowd and reached Ezreal.

"What do you think?", he asked his roommate while showing off his newest scythe.

"Looks cool man, but the eye.. Kinda freaks me out not gonna lie. You'd better not let it stare at me while I'm sleeping", they laughed.

* * *

Many students had come up and tried all sorts of weapon but leaving with one was a whole other story. Apparently, it wasn't all that common to be assigned a certain weapon.

Ezreal saw a nervous Lux looking at different kinds of weapons but they were all rejecting her the moment she touched them. At this point, she seemed defeated. He had never seen her like this. Not even in the sorting ceremony. He felt a knot in his stomach.

She was ready to leave when something behind a glass case caught her eye. Ezreal saw her move hesitantly towards it. It seemed like a staff.  _Or a baton._  Yeah that was more like it, the boy decided.

When Lux touched it, both edges of it started glowing. It was light! A sweet light. Lux swung it gently and particles of light filled the place. Like fireflies.

Lux gave a smile and closed her eyes as the applause was getting louder and louder. She kept the staff close to her chest and she smiled. Ezreal couldn't help but mirror her behavior.

* * *

As the crowd was walking out, he rushed to reach Lux.

"Hey", he said to her trying to sound as not out of breath as possible. Katarina looked more like her bodyguard than her friend now. "It looks good on you", he exclaimed grinning and pointing to the baton.

"Thank you", she said and gave him a small smile. She seemed distant.

"Uhm.. can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Actually, I'm in a hurry. I have to go find Sylas. It's about an assignment we have at the Sorcery Club".

"Oh", he replied while his heart sank in his chest. "Maybe some other time then".

She waved a quick goodbye. _I hope so.._


	8. The Secret Admirer

His desk was pink. Fucking pink. Apparently, someone had took the time to draw hundreds of pink hearts in all different kinds of sizes to the point that his whole desk looked like a bubblegum even at a great distance. Ezreal stopped at his tracks and scratched his eyebrow confused.

"Man?", he asked Kayn then paused. "What the hell is this?", he whispered frantically so only he could hear him. Kayn simply lifted his shoulders and took his seat.

"Nice desk pretty boy!", Sylas yelled at him mockingly from the other side of the classroom but he was making his way towards him. "You must have stolen every girl's heart in this classroom for this to happen", he laughed while he gave him a not so gentle push on his shoulder.

Ezreal slouched and turned to smile back at him but he had already wandered off somewhere else.  _This. Fucking. Guy._

Every single person who had walked into class gave him weird looks and they seemed to be really trying to hold back their laughter.  _I didn't expect Lux to be so.. expressive? It's kinda cute..? I guess? I'd better clear this out with her at some point. If only she wasn't so damn shy to talk this through with me. All she's been doing is avoid me since all this started.._  But the red haired girl was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Hey Katarina, I-"

"Hello there lover boy", she cut him off solemnly.

"Yeah- I.. uhm"  _She must know. She's her best friend after all and now she's messing with me._  "Uhm.. have you seen Lux? I've been trying to reach he-"

"What do you want with Luxanna"?

"Ehm.. I need to speak with her about..uhm.."  _What do I say now?!_  "about the group project".  _Nailed it._

"Well, I don't know where she is. But you can ask her brother Garen if it is that important", she said crossing her arms. "Or maybe Sylas. Maybe he has a clue".

Ezreal's awkward smile froze on his lips. _Great options Katarina. Sylas. Sylas. Sylas. Is he the new bff?_

"Okay then. Maybe I will", he said before walking out towards his dorm room.

* * *

He opened the door then stood still for a sec. His key in his hand. Her wavy colourful hair was the first thing he noticed. Her back was facing the door but when she heard it open she stood up from the bed as fast as possible. Lying there was a completely dumbfounded Kayn. His hair was a mess.

"Hi Ezreal!", she chirped then opened a portal and immediately left before Ezreal even had time to respond.

Kayn was now sitting up and Ezreal finally closed the door then started giggling.

"I didn't expect you to get a girlfriend so quickly!", he laughed as Kayn was putting his hair up in a bun.

"That wasn't-"

"It totally was!", he continued giggling. "She was on top of you on your bed"

Ezreal couldn't stop laughing and Kayn was just staring patiently waiting for him to shut up. The blond was now wiping some tears off his eyes.

"You done?", Kayn asked. "Yup".

"Zoe's your secret admirer doofus".

"What"?! _But I thought.._

"She just stormed in the room with her portals and she was trying to wake me up so I could tell her things about you. So she can use them to date you. She wants you to be her.. hubby? I think her exact words were"?

"Zoe's the one?" Kayn nodded. "With the box?" Nod. "And the hearts?" Nod.

 _What do I do?_  Ezreal stroked his hair as he sat down.  _Now I can't ask Lux if it was her. And she's been avoiding me ever since- Could she be jealous? He covered his mouth with his palm. But this Sylas guy... Am I a bother to her? To them? But she wasn't like that before.._

"Do you like her?", asked Kayn.

"I do!", replied Ezreal almost angrily.

"You like Zoe? Wow. And here I thought you had a thing for redheads".

"What are you talking about? I don't like Zoe".

"Then who?", asked Kayn with a cheeky grin.

"I like Lux", replied Ezreal defeated.

"There! He finally said it! Atta boy!", he stood up and pointed at him then grabbed the boy's head and scratched it with his newly acquired claws. He felt like Kayn was a big brother to him now but he fought his way out of his grasp.

"Do you think.. Lux.. Could be jealous? I mean.. with the hearts and stuff.. Is this why she's been avoiding me"?

"Why don't you ask her yourself"?

"I can't do that.. Not until I know what's up with the Sylas guy".

"What are you going to do with Zoe then? She clearly likes you. A lot. Hubby.", he chuckled. "And I gotta tell you. She didn't seem like the type to give up that easily".

"I'll think about it", was all he said before he lied down on his bed.

* * *

A large crowd had gathered around the big announcement board near the school entrance. Ezreal passed through the crowd easily using his gauntlet. A large poster was covering the entire board.

"Elections?", Ezreal wondered.

"I hope you vote for me", the boy with the dark hair told him and winked. His name was Jayce. He was in his classroom. From what he knew he had gotten a scholarship to get here. He was even considered a genius. He hadn't even gotten in line to try out the school's weapons from what he recalled. He had his own creations.

"Sure", Ezreal said to him even though it was the first time Jayce had spoken to him. He shuffled through the crowd and saw Katarina standing, her back on the wall behind her.

"Are you thinking of becoming a candidate lover boy?", she asked him as he approached her.

"Not really. To be frank, I don't even know who to vote for".

"I don't care for these things.. As long as you don't vote for the child prodigy." Her scar seemed irritated. More red than usual.

"You mean Jayce"? She nodded. "Why not"?

"Just trust me on this one", she responded and walked away.

* * *

Ezreal was late for class. He was about to take a turn in a hallway when he heard a familiar voice and stopped on his tracks. The male voice asked something that Ezreal couldn't hear clearly but it was unmistakably Sylas.

Ezreal took a peek from the corner where he stood. Sylas was holding a redhaired girl's hand. They were both dressed in the Sorcery Club's uniform, but her back was facing him. Sylas' expression showed concern.

"I can't Sylas.. I just can't", the female replied. It was Lux.

"I am sorry little light", Sylas said and touched her cheek.

Ezreal heard footsteps fast approaching and moved away with his head hanging from his shoulders.  _Little light.._  He let himself make a selfish thought.  _Things would have been easier if I just liked Zoe.._

The rest of the day went out like a breeze. He wasn't really paying attention to his classes today. He just kept staring out the window. But now it was time for the presidential candidates to make a few statements.

Jayce was the first one to speak up. Basically, he said the standard things everyone says. The only exaggeration was that he was going to give out unique gadgets to the whole class. Yeah. Probably an exaggeration. Ezreal couldn't help but notice how enthusiastic everyone seemed with his speech. Especially the girls.

Next up was Lux.

"Hello everyone", she said in a sweet voice. "I'm Luxanna Crownguard and I'd be happy to be this class' president. To be honest, I didn't really think I could become a candidate but someone close to me reminded me that a class president is someone that wants to help. And that's all I want to do. Everyone, feel free to reach out to me for help, with anything. I will never turn anyone away. Thank you", she said and she took her seat while her classsmates applauded her. Ezreal noticed her sigh in relief.

The only other candidate was Neeko. A girl who liked to decorate her bright blue hair with colourful flowers. She got up and transformed into Lux. She was the perfect duplicate. She had even managed to copy Luxanna's uniform.

"I just want to help", she said with Lux's voice before transforming to Jayce. "And give everyone free gadgets!", Jayce's voice said before she took her own form and laughed along with the whole class.

"I think I've made my point. Don't forget to vote for me!", Neeko said and winked at her classmates.

 _Well, let's just see how this goes.._  Ezreal thought.


	9. Election Fever

"So Ezreal do you like music? I do! What's your favourite colour? Mine's pink. I love pink! And.. ooh! Chocolate mooncakes! Do you like them? Do you want me to make you some? I'll make you some!".

The Battle Club was the only place that Ezreal couldn't shake Zoe off his shoulder. He was standing a few meters away from a target dummy but so far he hadn't manage to hit it with his gauntlet. He could generate some sparks but that was it. Professor Zed was talking to Kayn at the time but his eyes were focused on him. The boy could feel them etched in his back making him all the more nervous.

Apart from that he had a tail who wouldn't stop blabbing and jumping around every time they were breathing the same air. Every new try he made at the target was even more futile than the previous one. He was sweating and he had taken of his jacket, leaving him with his red vest and white tie. He could feel his hand sweating in the gauntlet but he wouldn't halt his practice.

"Zoe?", he said to the girl.

She immediately stopped talking and stared him in his eyes with anticipation.

"Can you plese be quiet for a second? I'm trying to practice", he said calmly and the girl obeyed blindly. He had tried to be as nice as possible to her but this whole thing was starting to exhaust him. At this point the girl wasn't even waiting for him to reply to her questions she was just talking to herself and without realising it.

* * *

Zoe and Kayn were waiting for him to pack his things outside of the classroom when Proffesor Zed approached him.

"You're thinking about it too much", he said.

"If you tell me to use my heart to activate my inner powers I'll laugh Professor I swear it", replied Ezreal with audacity. He was just too frustrated with himself. The group project deadline was only a moth away fast and he still hadn't managed to control his powers. He wouldn't let him his team carry him to victory and he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of Sylas.

"Do yourself a favor and don't be a smartass to your teacher", said the Professor seriously. Ezreal swallowed hard.

"I just can't get the gauntlet to work the way I want it to. Maybe I'm not the right man for this job", he sighed.

"Do you have any idea how the gauntlet works"? Ezreal looked buffled and the older man continued. "The gauntlet is but a regulator. All it does is help release the user's mana in a way that's easier to control. You are the one who makes the gauntlet powerful. Not the other way around".

* * *

Kayn's blue strand of hair was shinning under the sun when Ezreal walked out. His friend sighed with relief when he saw him.

"Help", Kayn mouthed to him while Zoe was fake fighting him with her fists and laughing. All Kayn was doing was touching her head with his hand to keep her away. It was enough of a defence. Ezreal chuckled at the sight.

* * *

"Zoe I got to ask, how come you're not in Sorcery Club?", said Kayn while the three of them were walking together to the school cafeteria.

Zoe raised her shoulders and pouted her lips. That was adorable Ezreal had to admit.

"I guess I'm stronger than them and much more special", she laughed closing he eyes and touching her stomach. "I'm the aspect of Twilight after all".

"The aspect..?", Ezreal asked.

"Yeah basically I'm sort of like a goddess? The chosen one if you will? I don't know about immortality but I don't want to put that to the test just yet". The boys laughed and Zoe looked pleased with herself that she was the reason for that.

* * *

A week had passed since the announcement of the presidential elections and now the time had come for the students to vote. The school had set up a makeshift type of room with curtains around so the people wouldn't see what everyone voted for. Inside was a wooden box where people would put a piece of paper that they had written a candidate name.

Ezreal walked in and looked at the empty piece of paper in his hand and he sighed. "Lux Crownguard", he scribbled on his paper and put it inside the box.

* * *

Jayce had only been class president for two days yet that didn't stop his cockiness levels to reach an all time high. Plus, nobody had gotten any free gadgets. Fake promises. _This guy was cut out to be a politician,_  thought Ezreal.

At the moment of the anouncement of the results, he could see Katarina rolling her eyes so hard that he thought they would stick to her skull. Perhaps she was right after all. The guy had all the red flags that would indicate he's just another superficial prick.

Despite the fact that Lux didn't win the election, she had gathered enough votes to become vice president and she looked content with just that.

"Congratulations. On the Vice Presidency I mean".

"Oh hi there", Lux replied when he spoke to her. She gave him a shy smile. "Thank you", she hesitated.

"Don't thank me I was just trying to seem nice", the boy replied.

"No. I mean.. Thank you for voting for me Ezreal".

"How could you tell? I may have voted for Neeko for all you know", he squinted his eyes at her.

"Ezreal. Not a lot of people voted for LUX Crownguard", she laughed. "I know it was you".

He felt his cheeks getting a bit hot but he wouldn't let go of his shallow confidence in front the girl he had his eye on.

"Okay, okay.. You got me there", he said raising his hands up dramatically. "I just voted for who I thought was the best for the position. Plus, I don't need any gadgets". He made her laugh so he continued. "You know you've been extremely hard to find these days".

"Uhm.. I know I've just been very busy with the Sorcery Club.. and the elections.. and I've been practising a lot.. I don't have much time on my hands.. I didn't do it on purpose I promise".

 _Not so sure about that.._  Ezreal thought but said nothing.

"Well I have to go right now.. My brother is waiting for me to head home", she said most likely to escape the awkwardness of the conversation and turned to leave.

"Lux wait!", he shouted and the girl was facing him once again. "What if I need your help"?

"What about it?", she replied puzzled.

"In your statements.. you said you wouldn't turn anyone away if they needed help", he said .

"Alright.. What can I do for you then"?, she asked crossing her arms.

An announcement came from the shool speakers interrupting them: "Tickets for the winter festival will be sold starting tomorrow. All proceeds will be given to a good cause so bring friends.. and girlfriends.. whatever I don't care. They made me do it", Professor Graves voice sounded unimpressed as usual. "How are you supposed to turn this thing off?" A screeching sound made them cover their ears.

"Uhm.. the team", Ezreal said then paused to collect his thoughts. "We.. uhm.. we need to schedule a meeting to see everyone's progress and create a plan".  _That's what I wanted to say.. Why am I such a coward?_

"That's actually a great idea. I'll speak with the others and get back to you. Is that alright?", she responded.

"Sure.. looking forward to it".

"Okay then see you tomorrow!", she walked off smiling. Her eyes glimmering.

But tomorrow never came.


	10. Heart to Heart

His shoelace was untied but right now he didn't care to fix it. He was gazing the rain pouring around him, making the world seem like a blur to his eyes. He was soaking wet from running in the rain. His coat was dripping and felt heavier on his shoulders than usual. His blond hair was untied. Barely touching his shoulders.

The wooden pavilion protected him from the rain but not the wind. The cold breeze was giving him chills. He swiftly put his hands in his coat pockets trying to keep them warm. Droplets of water escaped through the tiny cracks on the roof and landed on his head. The cold dripping started to make him dizzy and he felt like his brain was beginning to ache.

But he couldn't leave. His feet had completely froze now and he was losing hope that anything good were to happen anymore. All in all, he was drowning in hopelessness and he couldn't deny it.

But then he saw her yellow umbrella floating behind a thick bush. She was walking in a fast pace. Ezreal noticed the muddy footprints she was leaving behind her. Her shoes were sinking in the mud and grass. Her hair wasn't tied up today and Ezreal was astonished with how long it actually was. It was reaching her lower waist. He was thinking of standing up but his body wouldn't obey him. He felt too tired.

* * *

Kayn and Ezreal went to school that morning. Practically they ran all the way to the entrance to protect themselves for the rain. A tall, beautiful woman with long blond hair was in the entrance hall turning the students away. Her hair looked almost white Ezreal thought before he noticed her serious expression.

"I'm sorry to tell you this but classes have been cancelled for the day", she said to both of them.

"Why?", asked Kayn.

"Is everything alright?", asked Ezreal.

"As students, you have the right to know this." She took a deep breath. "Principal Yuumi has been.. attacked".

"Well, is she gonna be okay?", asked Ezreal anxiously. He could feel his heartbeat getting increasingly faster.

"I'm afraid that we don't know. Yet. She's in critical condition as far as we know". The boys were silent unable to react. "We don't know if someone is targeting the school so you have every right to leave the establishment until this matter is sorted out", she concluded.

_And go where..?_

* * *

"Kayn told me you'd probably be here", she said. "Do you mind?", Lux asked indicating that she wanted to take a sit next to him. Ezreal simply lifted his shoulders looking indifferent. "You seem pretty upset..", she continued.

"How can I not be?", Ezreal asked while the rain was getting heavier and heavier. He hadn't even turn to look at her. He had his eyes focused straight ahead.

"Are you going to leave the dorms?", she asked. It seemed to him like she was only asking trying to be polite or even worse. Out of pity.

"I can't", he whispered under his breath but it was enough for her to reply.

"Why can't you? You should go to your parents hous-"

"Why are you here Lux? Huh? You haven't spoken to me in weeks and now you're here? Pretending to be my friend? Especially when you know so little about me". His answer was too harsh for the girl. Her eyes almost teared up but she blinked and went back to her normal self.

"I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe I could help", she paused. He had already regretted the way he spoke to her but his pride wouldn't let him take it back. He thought that she would stand up and leave when she continued "and I was probably right. I can see that you need it. So be a man and accept help when someone's offering. You'll probably look less of a prick then".

He didn't like being scolded by Lux. "I'm just mad at myself".

"And why is that?", the girl asked touching his thigh.

"Because I'm selfish", he paused. "Yuumi is out there fighting for her life and all I think about is myself. Where do I go? What do I do? I pity MYSELF instead of praying for Yuumi, especially when I owe everything I have to her".

"That's not true"..

"But it is!", he yelled then buried his face in his hands in frustration. Then he turned to face Luxanna. "Do you know why I'm here Lux"?

She looked baffled but didn't say anything.

"It's because I tried to steal shit from the library! That's who I am. That's what I do." he said pointing to his heart. "I'm nothing more than a common thief that Principal Yuumi took a pity on and gave me a home. But you wouldn't understand".

Lux sat quietly for a moment and then she said "You've got me all wrong Ezreal. You think I'm some rich girl who doesn't give a fuck about others? You've known me all this time and that's your conclusion about me?"

Her face was filled with anger but her tone was calm and clear.

"Principal Yuumi didn't pity you. She saw something in you. Otherwise you wouldn't be at the Battle Club of all clubs. You wouldn't have this", she pointed to his gauntlet. "And I.. I saw something in you too. I don't know if you've made some wrong choices along the way but who hasn't? And I'm here because I want to be your friend. So get used to it cause I'm not leaving if I don't see a smile".

They looked at each other and they both laughed out loud.

"Wow you're actually scary. Didn't expect that", said Ezreal still half laughing.

"Me? I'm the one who's scary? I never expected you to be the brooding type" she giggled. "I'm sorry Lux.. you wouldn't understand", she said mimicking his voice and making fun of him. "But seriously", she took his hand. "You need to learn to appreciate yourself more. You can't expect others to respect you, if you don't respect yourself first".

"Yeah, I guess..", he said embarassed for his previous behavior. "Lux.. do you know if the school is going to remain closed"?

"I don't think so.. Classes should resume in a couple days mo matter what happens to the Principal". They both stared at the ground. "You probably don't know this but Yuumi wasn't always Principal. Before her it was Marcus DuCouteau".

"..DuCuteau"?  _Sounds familiar.._

"Yeah. Katarina's father. But he's gone missing since last year. The attack on Yuumi wasn't a random event. Someone really is targeting the Academy"..

"Well let them try." Ezreal seemed determined. "We're not gonna let them have it". Lux smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. She only pulled away when she realized what she did.

But Ezreal didn't mind. He didn't mind at all.


	11. The Intruders

Principal Yuumi was getting better they had said. Slowly but steadily her health would be once again restored. Students had flooded her hospital room with flowers, candy and handmade cards, wishing for a speedy recovery but they weren't allowed to visit her.

Ezreal decided to sneak into the hospital room. With his gauntlet this would be a piece of cake. At least that's what he thought.

He didn't want to talk about his plan with Kayn. The boy didn't look okay. Recently he had started to mumble things to himself at night. And the metal material in his arm seemed to be spreading through his entire body. Day by day. The corruption had reached his eye.. It was red. Like it was bleeding.

Most of the students had left the school dorms it seemed. Their rich parents wouldn't allow them to stay in such a dangerous place as the Durrandal God-Weapon Academy was deemed unsafe. Aristocrats, nobles and powerful politicians, had picked up their kids the moment the news of Principal Yuumi's attack had become known.  _They might have seemed stuck up but at least they cared about their children,_  Ezreal thought.

He hadn't seen Lux since that day in the pavilion. But it was true that she made him feel a little bit better about himself. That he could not deny.

While school was closed he would sneak into the Battle Club by himself and target practice. He was slowly getting the hang of it. Beams of blue light were flowing through his gauntlet with ease now.

Sometimes he could spot Zoe spying on him out the corner of his eye but he didn't react to it. He would only embarass her, so he left her alone.

He couldn't hit the target every single time though and when he got tired the shots were far less powerful. But that didn't mean he wouldn't keep trying. He had decided that instead of lying about who he was to make himself look good, he would become the man of his lies. He would become courageous and strong enough to protect himself and his friends. That was his resolve.

And perhaps one day.. If he worked really hard.. Maybe he could become someone equal to Lux. Someone she could actually count on. But his priority was to find out who he's up against. And that's something only the Principal knows.

* * *

He put on his brown jacket. His goggles on his head. He had missed the sensation and the smell of his blue scarf. He finally felt like he wasn't hiding who he was. The plan was that he would made his way through the parking lot walls and from then on he would find Principal Yuumi's room to get the answers he needed.

He was ready to get inside when he saw him. Ezreal sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Why did you follow me dude"?, he whispered annoyed.

"Thought I'd give you a hand", said Kayn holding his scythe with his clawed hand.

"How did you know I was going to do this"?

"I'm not as stupid as you think I am, doofus", the boy replied gently shoving Ezreal on his shoulder. His upper body was out in the open.

"Why the hell are you half naked? At least put on a shirt or something! We look like a bunch of weirdos"!

"Sorry man but my shirts don't fit me with this hand anymore"

"Yeah right you sick exhibitionist", Kayn bursted out laughing.

"Just tell me the plan".

"You're not coming", Ezreal said seriously. "This could be a waste of time. And the punishment we could get over this will no doubt be severe. We could even be expelled". He stopped. "Maybe you should go back to Ionia until this thing is settled".

The boy with the black hair was silent before he said. "I can't go home. I have nowhere to return to. Even if something were to happen to me no one would even bat an eye. Trust me".

"Wait what do you mean?", Ezreal asked.

"I don't have time for this", he replied nonchallantly. "Just know this. This Academy is my home as much as it is yours. And that's the only reason why I'm coming with you whether you like it or not".

"Fine", sighed Ezreal defeated.

* * *

Ezreal had seen Kayn walk through walls many times before. But after he had acquired his Darkin scythe he had become faster. Stronger. More agile than before. He could slide through the walls. Almost as if he was flying through them.

They found the room easily. It was the most heavily guarded after all. The gave each other a devious grin. It didn't matter. Their skillset seemed to be destined for this kind of operation.

Ezreal used his arcane shift and froze. A moment later Kayn appeared next to him. He was still smiling but his grin quickly faded when he saw it.

Principal Yuumi was covered in bandages from her mouth to her chest. Machines were beeping at the same pace as her heart. She was sleeping soundly with an oxygen mask strapped to her face. The room was packed with "get well" balloons and flowers.

They looked at eachother confused as they slowly approached her bed. On her nightstand, a once beautiful bouquet of roses had started to wither. The red petals had fallen to the floor.  _If she's better now how was she like before?_

Ezreal saw her paws and noticed that her nails were broken.  _She fought back.._

"Ez look at this", Kayn whispered and pointed towards Yuumi's chart hanging from her bed. On it there were names of a dozen different kind of meds she had to take and the times of each dose.

Doctors notes on the first pages, revealed what had happened. Bitemarks. Three major bite marks had caused her to bleed both internally and externally. She also had a few broken bones.  _But she fought back.._

Without a word they decided to leave. She wasn't in a position to answer their questions anyway.

As they got out they heard a gun clicking. Ezreal could feel the cold barrel of a shotgun on the back of his head.

"End of the line", they heard a husky yet familiar voice say as they raised their hands simualtaneously. "Turn around. Slowly".

Professor Graves was caught off guard. "Shieda? Lightfeather?", he asked puzzled. "What the hell do you think you're doing"?

"Professor-", started Ezreal.

"We came cause we want to know what we're dealing with", Kayn cut him off.

"We? You're not dealing with anything boy. Let the grownups handle this. You two will only be a burden", replied Graves still pointing his shotgun at them.

"We saw Yuumi. We know about the bites. Just tell us who did it", continued Kayn completely unphased.

"You know I could just shoot the both of you right now and get it over with, but we're supposed to protect you. Just get the hell out of here and I might forget this ever happened".

"We can help. We're more capable than you think Professor and we have to know!", said Ezreal.

A storm of footsteps was approaching them. "What is going on Graves?", they heard someone saying.

"Get out. Now", Professor pushed Ezreal away and threw a cannister on the floor. A few seconds later the room was filled with smoke.

Kayn and Ezreal got out. They were both with their backs against a concrete wall. But they were safe and good to go.

"We're screwed", Kayn said and Ezreal couldn't help but agree.


	12. We shall play

"Since most of the students have returned to the school grounds, we thought it was time for classes to resume", said the tall woman with the long, white hair.

Her hair was in an elegant yet simple braid.  _She's the one who told us about Yuumi's condition that day,_  Ezreal recalled. The majority of the students were gathered in the entrance hall, listening to the woman's announcement.

"I also thought that this would be a great opportunity for me to introduce myself. Some of you may already know me, since I've been in the school board for more than half a decade now, but since I will be acting as the Principal for the time being, a formal introduction was deemed necessary".

Her voice was cold without a hint of sweetness in it compared to Principal Yuumi's. The feline might have seemed reliable and trustworthy enough for such a position, but her voice always betrayed that she loved the children she was addressing.

"My name is Tianna Crownguard".

_Crownguard..? Isn't that..? Could she be Lux's mother or something? Now that I'm thinking about it they do have some similar features. Their dreamy blue eyes.. I mean they're not dreamy. Oh boy.. why am I like this?_

* * *

Apart from a few empty seats in their classroom eveything seemed pretty normal. Zoe was standing between Kayn and Ezreal's desks, showing off a new necklace. Her eyes were almost shinning with excitement. Ezreal couldn't help but stare at them. He was always mesmerized by the fact that her eyes were a different colour.

"I just don't get what's so special aboout it", Kayn said crossing his arms. "It's just a necklace".

"JUST? A NECKLACE?", Zoe said covering her mouth in shock.

"Yep. Pretty much", replied the boy indifferently.

"Now listen here boy cause I might get real mad by your ignorance", Zoe said lifting up her sleeves with her fists ready.

Kayn couldn't help but laugh. "Don't tell me you actually think you could beat me up"?

"Hey Ezreal! Have a minute?", Lux looked so tall standing behind Zoe. The girl with the colourful hair, gave her a scornful stare, clenching her fists even harder than before but Lux was completely oblivious to this.

"Sure", Ezreal said smiling urging her to get closer to his desk.

"Can I walk through, Zoe?", Luxanna asked the girl with her signature grin on her face.

"I don't know can you?", she responded sarcastically.

 _Is she seriously cockblocking me?_  Ezreal made a selfish thought.

"Oy Zoe come here tell me more about your stupid necklace", said Kayn grabbing her hand to move her towards his desk. He winked at Ezreal.

"IT'S NOT STUPID! YOU ARE!", she yelled but she was distracted enough for Lux to get through.

"So what did you wanna tell me?", smiled Ezreal.

"I- I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up after school", she paused. He felt his heart flutter. "I mean for the group project".  _Oh._  "Bring Kayn with you! I've already spoken with Katarina and Sylas".

Ezreal looked towards Sylas' desk to see him giving him a thumbs up. He rolled his eyes but quickly recovered.

"Sure thing Lux. We'd love that. We'll meet you at the usual spot I guess"?

She nodded smiling. "Alright. See you then"! She waved goodbye and took her seat.

Ezreal turned to look at Kayn only to discover Zoe pulling him by his braid. They both froze.

Professor Graves was glaring at them. "Alright", he said closing the door. Zoe opened a portal and she was in her seat at once while Kayn was trying to fix his hair in vain.

The boys exhanged nervous looks. Ezreal bit his lip anxiously. But the class went as normal. Professor Graves was reading his newspaper, drinking his coffee with his legs crossed on his desk. _Why is this man even getting paid?_

The class was passing notes throughout the entire first period. The same piece of paper had passed though almost everyone when it reached his desk. Some people were placing bets on how many months it will take the school to fire Professor Graves, while others had drawn flowers and stars. He even spotted a heart with the letters E+Z inside. He sighed and passed the note to Kayn without writing anything on it.

The bell rang. The boys were getting ready to go to the cafeteria when they heard his raspy voice. "Shieda. Lightfeather. My office. Now".

* * *

The two boys were sitting silently in the Professor's office waiting for him to show up, but he seemed to be taking his sweet time with it. By the time he actually came in, Ezreal's hands were a sweaty mess and they only thing they had done was to exchange worried looks.

Professor Graves sat down and put his gunshot on his desk, the barrel pointing towards Ezreal, but no one of the two had the courage to speak up. Graves lit up a brown cigar.

"I don't suppose you have any plans after school", he said.

Ezreal hesitated at first but then he started "well.. actually.. Profes-"

"Cancel it". The boys were staring at the floor.

"We should start with something simple. You two are to clean up the entire school yard. I don't wanna see a single cigarette butt on the ground. Ya hear me?", his order was absolute. "I'm sure that's something even you two monkeys can do".

"Yes sir", they replied both as if mechanically.

"I think making you two my bitches is the only appropriate course of action since I covered both of your asses, for that shit you pulled last week".  _He did what?_

"So we're not expelled?", Ezreal asked.

"No. But after what I'm planning to do with you two, you're gonna wish you were", he said as he put off his cigar".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a bit shorter than the usual chapters but I'll make up for it! There's more incoming! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my story!


	13. Where Loyalties Lie

A week had never felt so long to Ezreal before. The old bastard did them good. He knew they probably deserved the punishment but he also knew that he wanted those answers. He was determined to find out what happened to Principal Yuumi and who's targeting the Academy and take action. He was too stubborn for anyone to persuade him otherwise. Even as he was polishing Proffesor Graves' boots in the dim light of his office, he was sure. He had made up his mind.

Besides, he didn't have it as bad as Kayn today. The poor guy was forced to wash Graves' clothes. And underwear. When he returned to the office his mind seemed absent. A blank stare in his eyes.

"Dude..? You.. okay?", asked a concerned Ezreal.

"Hmm", his blank stare remained.

"Was it that bad?", asked Ezreal imagining the dirty underwear in his friend's hands.

"We must never speak of this. Ever".

Ezreal thought he had done a pretty good job cleaning up the Professor's office. He had the perfect chance to search his office for clues regarding Yuumi's situation but it had amount to nothing. The only thing he could find was old newspapers, cigars and stashes for booze.

"Hey the smoke's finally gone", noticed Kayn somewhat impressed. "Didn't expect you had it in you young man. My boy's all grown up", he continued sarcastically, wiping an invisible tear from his eye.

"Shut up", replied the blond. "We've become experts after all this don't you think"?

It was true. The entire week, Professor Graves had made them clean the entire school after class. He even had them clean the bathrooms with a toothbrush.  _Compared to the girls' bathroom, guys really are disgusting._  That was Ezreal's conclusion. At the end of the day, they were so tired that they would fall asleep at once. Even Kayn had stopped mumbling to himself at night.

But that wasn't the worst part of Professor Graves' detention tactics. The worst part had come on the very first day.

* * *

He had searched everywhere for Lux to tell her that they wouldn't be able to make it at the group meaning but he had no luck. He and Kayn had even tried to tell Katarina but she was nowhere to be found. So.. there was only one option left.

"Hey.. Sylas", said the blond boy.

"Oh! My man! How are you, you two?", Sylas had even stood up from where he sat to greet them.  _Don't be so fake, you pretentious douchebag. If I didn't want Lux to think I'd ditch her I wouldn't even be talking to you right now._

"Great!", Kayn said after he noticed that Ezreal was lost in his thoughts for way too long. He even nudged him.

"Yeah!", replied Ezreal as if he had just woken up from his slumber.

Sylas patted Ezreal on the head. "Isn't he cute guys?", he said to the boys that were sitting with him. "I just wanna pet him! He's adorable".

Ezreal was feeling his blood pumping but he forced a smile and calmly moved Sylas' hand away from him.

"I just wanted to let you know that me and Kayn aren't gonna make it today at the group meeting".

"Why?", Sylas inquired.

"We have an assignement from Professor Graves", replied Kayn.

"Graves?", Sylas laughed out loud. "Don't tell me he's gonna make you smoke cigars and get drunk. Cause that's the only thing he's probably capable of". Now his friends were laughing along, creating a choir of imbeciles to Ezreal's ears.

"Anyway.. Tell the girls we're sorry when you see them".

"Ofcourse! Don't you worry about it", he said pinching Ezreal cheeks as if he was a baby.

They turned to leave but Ezreal turned back. "Sylas. Take care of the girls. Things might get dangerous outside the Academy".

"I got them", he smiled. "Especially Little Light". Ezreal clenched his fist so hard that his nails made his palm bleed.

"I'll protect her as if she was my lover". The blond boy took a step forward only for Kayn to discreetly restrain him. Sylas friends hadn't even noticed. They were just laughing like the morons they were.

"Leave it", he said so only Ezreal could hear him. _At least he's finally shown his true colours. It wasn't my imagination._

* * *

"Boop!", she said touching Ezreal's nose. Her lower body was still in her portal.

"Zoe?! What are you doing here?", replied a the boy surprised.

"I was just bored..", she said as she lied down in Professor Graves' couch. "Have you guys been hiding here this whole week? Why did you leave me alone?", she said and pretended to start crying.

"Zoe. You need to leave. You're not supposed to be here", Ezreal had started to lose his patience.

"Hey Kayn! Can I be in your team for the group project?", she popped out of a portal next to Kayn's face. Her legs were still lying on the couch.  _Creepy. Did she even hear what I said?_

"Don't you have a team?", asked Kayn shooing her away with his hand.

"I do! I mean.. I did but they kinda.. sorta.. kicked me out.. so.. pretty please?", she gave Kayn her sweetest smile.

"It's not up to me", Kayn raised his shoulders.

"Ezreal then! Can I be in your team?", she popped out of a portal next to Ezreal now.

"Me and Kayn are in the same team", he said putting Graves' boots on the floor.

"That's even better! When do I start?", she asked plopping on the couch once again.

"This isn't our decision. You'll have to talk to Lux about this".

Zoe froze. "Lux? Crownguard"?

"Yeah, she's the one in charge".

"Oh. It's just that.. I thought her name was Luxanna".

"It is. I just like to call her that", admitted a bashful Ezreal. Zoe stood up and sat next to Ezreal.

"Is she your girlfriend"?, she asked. The boy had never seen such a serious look on her face before. He felt his cheeks getting hot.

"She's-", he started to reply but his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "She's not my girlfriend. We're just friends".

He saw a Kayn trying to muffle his laughter out the corner of his eye. But in his heart, he wished that what he said was a lie.

Zoe's smile was wide as she returned to her normal self. She curled up in a ball on the couch.

"Hey Ezreal.. Am I your friend too?", she asked hesitantly. Her question was unexpected.

"I guess so", was the only answer he could think of.  _I mean I like hanging out with Zoe. Most of the time. I guess I actually told the truth._

"Are you guys going to the winter festival"?, she asked out of the blue.

"The what?", said Kayn.

"Hello? The winter festival? Candy, balloons and most importantly the winter ball"?

The boys gave eachother confused looks and Zoe rolled her eyes.

"What would you do without me?", she carried on annoyed. "They were even selling tickets for it"?

The boys still looked confused.

"They made an announcement about it!", she said angrily.

"I remember that, yeah. I had completely forgotten about this. They were saying something about how you should bring a date or something?", said Ezreal.

Zoe gave him a devilish smile. "Isn't it a good chance to ask the girl you like out"?

_Should I ask Lux out? It's not that bad of an idea, is it?_

"Oy Zoe, don't you have other things to do? We're kinda busy here", said Kayn with a broom in his claw.

"Tsk. Fine", she stuck her tongue out towards Kayn. "Bye Ezreal!", was all she said before she vanished into one of her portals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I also made a Battle Academia Video if you want to check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFFtVc6fl5s


	14. Drama

Peace. Ezreal lied down on his bed. He was exhausted. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before he felt someone poking him on his shoulder. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see a Zoe with a wide smile on her face. Kayn was fast asleep. He sighed.

"Where is all this energy coming from? Seriously".

"Ehh I don't know", she replied solemnly. "I've always been like this. Even before a became an aspect". She sat down on Kayn's bed, but the boy didn't even realize. He was sleeping with his mouth open, drooling. Zoe looked at him and smiled.

Kayn turned to switch sides, revealing his nudity.

"Ehh?!", she screamed but quickly covered her mouth with her hand, afraid that her screams would wake him up. Ezreal chuckled when he saw her all flustered.

"Haven't you ever seen a shirtless guy before?", asked Ezreal with a playful smile on his face.

"Ofcourse not! I'm not.. that kind of girl..", she responded shyly. Kayn moved again. His hand was now resting on Zoe's thigh. It seemed as if she jumped ten feet in the air. She even hit his hand. That was when he finally opened his eyes slightly.

"Hmm?", he said still half asleep. Less than a second later he was back to sleep.

Ezreal laughed. "Just leave him. He's probably too tired to understand what's going on anyway".

"Okay..", said Zoe blushing. "I have to go now. Sorry for bothering you, Ezreal"..

And like that she disappeared.  _What was that all about?_

* * *

It was finally a good day. The breeze was chilly but he felt fine wearing his uniform jacket. The cold had been unbearable in the previous weeks and the rain was an everyday event. He had gotten used to it. He sat down on the pavilion with his lunchbox next to him. He felt a knot in his stomach as he sat there waiting for her.

When she saw him, her eyes lit up and she gave him a bright smile while she waved at him. Ezreal couldn't help but grin. The butterflies in his stomach were going crazy but he could never admit so. Even to himself.

"I'm so glad you could make it today!", she said as she took her seat next to him. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages! Well.. only in class but we can't really talk there, can we?", she chuckled.

"I guess you're right", Ezreal grinned unable to take his eyes off of her. "Did you miss me"? They were staring at eachothers blue eyes for a moment, before Lux finally look away.

"So, why didn't you come that day?", she said trying to defuse the awkwardness.

"Me and Kayn had an assignment from Professor Graves. Didn't you know? We told Sylas about it".  _That bastard. Frankly, I'm not surprised._

"Yeah, he told us you and two wouldn't make it, but he didn't know the reason why".

Ezreal sniggered. "Ofcourse he wouldn't".

Luxanna's smile disappeared for a moment. "You don't really like Sylas, do you"?

"I'd say that HE doesn't like ME, to be precise".

"Why would you say that"?

"I don't know. Just a gut feeling".  _BECAUSE HE SEES ME AS COMPETITION AND HE WANTS YOU ALL FOR HIMSELF!,_  his inner voice screamed.

"So what was your assignment with Professor Graves"?

Ezreal expression was serious. "Hey.. You know you can tell me anything right? I'm your friend", said Luxanna worriedly.

"I guess I don't have to lie to you. But you must promise me that you won't say anything, to anyone about this".

"I promise", she said without hesitation. "Me and Kayn.. We broke into the hospital. To see Principal Yuumi.. And Professor Graves caught us".

Lux gasped. "Why would you do that"?

"We wanted to find out who did it, so we can be prepared to fight".

The girl was awestruck but she asked "So what happened? When he caught you"?

"He helped us escape", Ezreal said staring at the ground. "He covered for us. And he's been giving me and Kayn school punishments under the table all this time. To make us realize how stupid we were I suppose".

Ezreal felt a hand on his cheek and he turned to face the girl he liked.

"Don't. Ever. Say that again". He gave her a defeated smile but stayed silent. She unwittingly stroked his cheek for a few seconds, but pulled away once she realized what she was doing.

"Don't worry, Ez. I won't say anything".

"Ez?", he asked smiling.

Lux chuckled nervously. "It just came out like this. Don't pay me attention".

He touched her hand. "That's the only thing I cannot do".

She pulled her hand away and and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Ezreal noticed a redness on her cheeks but didn't say anything. She pulled out her lunchbox.

"We should eat! That's what we came here for anyway"!

They both ate their lunch in silence.

"That was fun!", she said standing up. "We could come here again sometime"..

"Sure".

"Bye then!", she said awkwardly and begun to walk.

"Wait!", Ezreal yelled and the girl turned to face him once again. "I... uh.. I was wondering if you're going to the winter ball".

"Ofcourse I am! The new Principal is my aunt actually"!  _She is? That explains it._

"Well then.. Do you want to go.. with me"? Ezreal poured his entire confidence in forming this sentence. She took a few steps closer to him.

"I'd love to", she responded. "But Sylas has already asked me.. and I said yes.."

"Oh. That's totally fine! I'll probably just go with Kayn in the end", he laughed nervously and so did Lux.  _I. Hate. Sylas._

"I thought you were maybe.. going with Zoe"?

"Why would I?"

"I thought she was your-, never mind!", Lux giggled and walked away. "See you!", she turned and said before she was too far away.

* * *

Kayn was waiting for him in their room with his arms crossed like an angry mom.

"Are you insane?", he said looking mad.

"What?", replied the boy confused.

"You're going to the ball with Zoe"?

"I never said so. Why do you ask"?

"Because apparently, that's what she been saying to all the girls. Plus, that you're her boyfriend".

"Wait, what? Are you sure about this?", Ezreal begun to feel angrier by the minute.

"Duh!", he said irritated. "Neeko came and asked me if I know anything".

"She's making this whole thing up. I hope you know that. What's got your knickers in a twist anyway? This MY problem".

"I-I couldn't care less. It's just that.. Zoe is a classmate".

"So?"

"I just don't want her to get hurt. You should clear this whole thing up. Fast".

"What should I tell her"?

"Just tell her you don't like her that way". Ezreal was speaking calmly, but the irritation hadn't left Kayn's voice.

"I'll deal with it".

"Suit yourself", said Kayn and stormed out the room.


	15. Ego Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys it took longer than usual to upload but I've been busy these days.. More chapters are coming!

"I'll deal with it".  _Later. Probably._

Sometimes he just wanted to smack himself in the head with the way he acted. Ezreal was self-declared the Ultimate Procrastinator. Because, ofcourse, if he was going to be something, he would have to be the best at it.

He wanted to confront Zoe. He really did. But when it came to serious situations, especially in matters of the heart, he would just keep delaying the inevitable. He was perfectly aware that this wasn't the way to go with things but he just.. couldn't help it. So he simply kept avoiding being left alone with Zoe.  _How immature._

He felt like a terrible person for what was bound to happen at some point. Whether he liked it or not, he did consider the girl with the flowing hair his friend. Even if she had, perhaps, misjudged(?) the situation. All the girls in his classroom, were seemingly convinced that they were dating and the fact that the former thief wouldn't admit or deny anything created sparks for even more outrageous rumours about the young couple. People were even saying that Zoe was cheating on Ezreal with Kayn because they were always spending time together in the Battle Club and in the hallways.

_As if..._  Ezreal snorted.  _At least Zoe has good taste in men,_  he thought. She wouldn't just leave him for his roommate.  _What am I saying? We're not even together! But still. I'm way more handsome than he is._  Kayn just had to bear with her now that he was constantly making excuses and bailed on them.

He still remained a bother to him. The ever composed, cynical, and cold Kayn wouldn't stop reminding him what he had to do. Ezreal kept scoffing and ignoring him. He'd deal with it. And that was final.

* * *

Yuumi had left the hospital, they'd found out. She was staying at a rehabilitation center. Her wounds still needed time to heal after all. She wasn't ready to become the Principal again. She would probably miss the entire school year for all Ezreal knew. But the curiosity wouldn't leave him alone. The explorer within him wanted to figure out all there was to what had happened to the beloved feline. Soon enough he would. He just didn't know that. Yet.

* * *

_You're joking. This can't be happening._  The blond boy thought and his hand started to twitch inside his red gauntlet.

"I finally found you boo!", he girl said and jumped onto him as he was sitting on the couch. She planted a small, tender innocent kiss on his cheek. _This is not happening._

"Uhm.. Hi.. Zoe", said Ezreal awkwardly trying to get a grasp of the situation in front of him.

"Isn't he adorable?", the girl asked Lux while she used both hands to cup Ezreal's face making his cheeks pop out.

"He's goodlooking. I guess?", said Lux, her voice betraying a hint of irritation.  _She totally thinks I'm hot stuff! Maybe something good might come out of this after all..,_  he schemed inside his head and smirked towards the red haired girl. To realize she had already looked away.

"What is your girlfriend doing here?", asked an unimpressed Katarina.

"She's n-", Ezreal began to say but Zoe stuffed his mouth with a huge piece of a sweet waffle.

"This is supposed to be a group meeting. We didn't come all the way here for a chit chat", said the girl with the scar across her eye.

As she was saying that Sylas walked into the small diner. He was staring confused.

"Or a double date for that matter", she continued nonchallantly once she spotted the dark haired mage standing next to Luxanna.

Kayn sat down next to him. A sly grin was spread upon his face but he didn't even look at his roommate.

"Dude! Why did you have to bring her here?", Ezreal whispered frantically to his friend.  _Or should I say former friend. You are less than man. On my honor as a Lightfeather, I promise this is the last thing you're ever going to do._  His inner voice sounded a tad more dramatic than usual but Kayn completely ignored him as he spoke to the group.

"Zoe doesn't have a team for the group project. So, out of kindness, which I must say is my defining characteristic, as I'm sure you all agree, I offered her a place in our team". He said smiling. Ezreal could feel his blood boiling inside.  _Now you wanna try and be "kind"?!_

The rest of them froze.

"If anyone has a problem with that they should speak out now". Zoe was unphased, as if they weren't even talking about her. She just kept stuffing herself and Ezreal with the rest of the waffle in front of her.

"It's good, but not as good as my chocolate mooncakes! I can make you some. Do you guys want some?", she asked the group excitedly as her eyes lit up. Everyone was hesitant for a brief moment but in the end it was Lux who broke the awkward silence between them.

"We'd like that Zoe", she replied. "I'm happy to welcome you to our team".

"Ehh?!", both Sylas and Katarina gasped. Ezreal would have too if he wasn't trying to swallow large chunks of waffle at that moment. He almost choked, which made him cough violently.

"Guys.. remember what Professor Graves said when he gave us this assignment?", they were all staring at Luxanna. They didn't. She rolled her eyes before carrying on with her speech.

"Professor Graves said that no one is to be without a team. We can't leave her alone", she declared smiling tenderly at Zoe.

"Really?", asked Zoe, her eyes were now brighter than ever. "You mean that Lux"? Luxanna gasped but quickly recovered.

"Ofcourse I do. You are now one of us. It would be an honor to have all three Battle Club member in our class with us. Now if you'll excuse me", she said before heading to the ladies' room.

"Luxanna wait", said Katarina following her. Sylas was calmly observing the golden trio sitting on the table across from him before he began to speak.

"Don't you think it's a bit unwise to mix your personal life with your work?", he teased Ezreal while staring directly into his blue eyes.

"That would be true if I was someone who could be easily distracted from his goal", replied Ezreal shooting him with an hostile look. But neither of them was budging until the girls showed up.

"Hey Katarina are you going to the Winter Ball?", asked Zoe despite her question being completely out of the blue.

"Probably not".

"You should though! Take Kayn!", she said grabbing Kayn's braid and pulling it a bit too tight.

"Ouch. Hey stop that!", Kayn shouted and the girl started to giggle uncontrollably.

"Are YOU going to the ball Zoe?", asked Sylas cunningly

"I wouldn't miss that for the whole world"!

"Ofcourse not.. You're a sweet girl. May I ask who you are going with?", his irises looked like a pair of grey beads.

"I'm-"

"Sorry guys. I have to go", said Lux and Ezreal felt his heart shattering into hundreds of pieces.

"Is everything alright?", he asked her worried.

"I just have some family business to attend to that had completly slipped my mind that's all", she smiled. "I'll see you guys tomorrow", she said and took off.

"Crap. She forgot her bag", realized Katarina as soon as the diner door was shut. "I guess I can still reach her. I don't believe she must have gotten that far already", she laughed as she bagan to stand up. Kayn grabbed her hand.

"Why not send Ezreal to give it to her? He's probably faster than you".  _My best friend Shieda Kayn! Oh how could I ever misjudge you! You are my only true friend. On my honor as a Lightfeather I promise to never think ill of you ever again!_

"Are you even here?", asked Katarina shaking her hands in front of him. Evidently, interrupting his inner monologue. "Start moving or you'll miss her".

"Right", he said as he grabbed her bag and began using his arcane shift to cover as much space as fast as possible. He was out of breath when he finally found her. His hands resting on his knees.

"Lux.. I.. finally.. found you", he said in between breaths.

"Wha-", she started to ask before she noticed her bag in his right hand and she chuckled.

"I'm such a klutz sometimes", she said taking it from him. Their hands grazed one another sending shivers across Ezreal's spine.

"That's a lie", he said once his breathing had gotten back to normal.

"I may not be as innocent as you think I am", she replied cryptically.

"Are you sure you can't stay anymore today?", he asked full of hope.

"Yeah. It was totally my bad. I had forgotten about this", she said raising her arms.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow I suppose..", responded a defeated Ezreal. His disappointment was tangible as he turned to leave.

"Ezreal", she called out his name. "I.. uhm".

He looked so eager but the girl kept stumbling upon her words.

"It was.. uhm.. kind of weird to hear Zoe.. call me Lux", she said staring at her shoes. "No one's ever called me that.. but you". Her face was matching her hair colour from what Ezreal could see.

"You don't like it?", he furrowed his eyebrows in question. "It's not that.. It's just-", she took a deep breath. "Never mind. It's not important anyway".

Her smile was plastered on her face once again.

"Bye Ez". She said and took off before Ezreal had the chance to tell her that everything about her was important to him.


	16. The Mirror Dimension

Sooner or later everyone had come to terms with the idea that Zoe was now a part of their team, despite their initial reactions. The girl was undoubtedly strong. Probably stronger than any of them. If she didn't have that cheerful attitude, she could probably demand fear. And Ezreal knew that very well.

For the past days the group had been gathering on an everyday basis and practiced their skills in the Battle Club classroom late at night. Thankfully, no one had realized what they did in order to stop them from violating school rules.

Katarina and Ezreal were mostly doing target practice on dummies while the others were trying to build up resilience and strength. Luxanna was already quite powerful but she lacked stamina. Her magic begun to fade after about half an hour of constant use.

Kayn was mostly shadow fighting and he seemed to be in peak condition, while Zoe was sitting around playing with her yo-yo. When they confronted the girl about not trying as hard as the rest of the team she simply dismissed them, claiming that THEY needed to practice more and order to even come close to her level. She was a (self-proclaimed) goddess after all.

As time passed, they would figure out one another's fighting styles, strengths and weaknesses. But time was up.

* * *

The six of them were sitting in the auditorium all lined up. Zoe had picked up the chance to snuggle up against Ezreal's shoulder. At this point he would just roll his eyes and leave her be. The atmosphere in the room was growing even more tense by the second as everyone was both excited and nervous for what was to come. The silence among the student body was deafening.

Tianna Crownguard had took the stage in front of them. A wooden door with weird symbols carved on it was placed behind her. Professor Graves was observing his students with a serious look on his face.

"What are those?", he heard Lux ask two seats away from him. Her batton was firmly clasped between her fingers.

"Wouldn't know, wouldn't really care", replied Katarina unphased.

"I think they're some sort of runic symbols", Ezreal said making the red haired girl to stare at him, seemingly pleading for more information.

"You've seen these before?", she asked.

"Well, I used to be fascinated by archeology as a kid, so.. I've done quite some research", he replied as modestly as he could.  _I've also stolen plenty of ancient artifacts but that's a story for another time. Maybe._

Principal Crownguard had been talking for a while now, but they had missed most of it while they were chatting with eachother.

They were the first team to be called up on stage. Hesitantly they stood up and walked over there with Sylas leading them.

"Are you the team leader?", Tianna Crownguard asked him.  _We don't really have a team leader but that's definitely not Sylas._

"Ahh no.. That's probably Luxanna", he replied scratching the back of his neck.

Luxanna seemed dumbfounded at his reply but Ezreal gave her a gentle push on her back to help her move to the forefront.

"I see", the principal said welcoming her niece closer to her and the wooden door.

* * *

He could feel the warmth surrounding him as they were making their way inside the door. At first, a cold gust of wind took them by surprise. It was too dark for him to see anything othen than Sylas' back leading the way.

Someone had grabbed his arm so as not to fall. He could tell from experience that they were walking through a cave. A glimmering light suddenly showed up so they followed it obediently. As they kept walking down a narrow path he felt as though he was being a embraced by the warm rays of the sun.

When they finally reached the exit, he closed his eyes firmly. It would take him a few seconds to get used to it. When he reopened them he saw Lux hanging from his arm.

"Are you alright?", he asked her.

"Sure! I was just afraid I would fall. I couldn't see anything I just grabbed whoever was closest to me", she giggled. Ezreal smiled unconsciously.

"Is everyone alright?", asked Kayn. "Yeah", replied Katarina before taking the time to think. "Wait.. Where's Zoe"?

Ezreal felt the panic creeping into his heart.

"Zoe?", he started to yell her name. "Zoe?! Where are you"? The others started shouting her name not long after.

"Over here!", they heard her saying before noticing her sitting on a tree branch. Ezreal allowed himself a sigh of relief as the group ran towards her. She was wearing glasses, a black jacket and a blue skirt. _Something is off._

"Stop!", Ezreal commanded the others immediately halting.

"How did I get here?", Zoe started whining on the tree. "Come pick me uuup", she started crying like a child.

"What is it Ezreal?", asked Katarina, her instincts on edge.

"It's not her. It's not Zoe. Look at her". Zoe on the tree stopped crying instantly.

"Damn! And I thought I'd played it so well", she said before she launched a bubble towards Luxanna.

"Look out!", Ezreal screamed and jumped on Lux so she could dodge the attack. He grinned at her for a quick second while he was lying on top of her, before they both stood up.

"Where's our Zoe?", Kayn demanded to know but the Zoe on the tree simply said

"Not today boo" before she kept throwing even more bubbles to their direction.

"Run!", shouted Sylas and soon after, they found a temporarily safe spot. Basically, it was nothing more than a large rock.

 _What the hell is going on?!_  He hadn't even realized but Lux had been holding his hand tightly the whole time while the others were trying to catch their breaths.

"We need a plan", said Sylas and the rest of them nodded in unison.

"Incandesce!", they heard a woman shout before the rock that covered them was turned to cinders.

Ezreal's mouth was open in shock when he saw where the attack had come from. She was wearing a white dress and he felt as if her blue eyes were piercing right through his soul. She might have had blond hair but there was no doubt about it. It was Lux. He turned to see the girl on his side, only to notice she was just as confused as him.

"Is that..?", said Katarina without ever finishing her sentence.

"Let's move!", shouted Ezreal grabbing Lux by her hand and they were once again on the run. He saw beams of blue light out the corner of his eye. And it didn't take him long to recognise them. Lux was going to be hit.

"No!", he yelled and he arcane shifted right in front of her, only to be hit on his shoulder. His adrenaline was so high that he didn't feel the pain initially. They kept running as he saw himself shooting more and more mystic shots.

"Is that you?", asked Kayn in disbelief.

"I think so", was all the blond boy said.

"Are you hurt?", asked Lux with terror in her voice.

"I'm good", he forced a smile to ease her concerns.

"Is this another simulation?", asked Katarina.

"It's a mirror dimension!", shouted Sylas. "It has to be"!

 _Mirror dimension? Like a parallel universe? I see.. So they wanted us to fight ourselves.._  It did make sense to him in a way. But his shoulder was starting to burn. And there was no time to fix this.

"Help!", they heard Zoe's voice and they rushed to her without any second thoughts. That HAD to be their Zoe. They saw her throwing bubbles towards every direction. But she was alone. Who was she fighting?

It didn't take long to see a creature sliding through the walls around her, taunting the girl. His laugh was echoing in their ears. Ezreal had his gauntlet ready, but the creature was too fast for him to know where to shoot at. He heard chains being dragged on the ground and quickly shot to where he thought they were coming from.

But suddenly he felt his body go numb and fell to his knees. It was like he was drained out of mana.

"Ezreal!", Kayn shouted and he clenched his hands around his scythe ready to fight.

His vision was blurry. But he had to get up. He had to fight. He tried to stand up. He could see the creature lurking in the walls. He was wondering who that was until he saw it. The scythe.

"Kayn.. That's you"..

"It can't be.. I have control over it"!

"Kayn stop!", they heard Zoe screaming at the creature before he replied.

"There is no Kayn anymore. Only Rhaast".

He saw his friend standing there. Frozen. Unable to make a move. But a powerful barrage was heading towards them. He saw the Sylas from the mirror dimension laughing in the distance, but he felt too drained to try and dodge it. Despair was filling him from inside until he felt a warm light wrapping around him. He turned to see Lux throwing away her batton, shielding their entire team before it returned to her. She had saved them.

Rhaast jumped towards Zoe but they were too far to try and save her.

"Stop!", he shouted while he shot him with his gauntlet. A golden circle was heading towards the Darkin creature.  _Bullseye._

Rhaast was caught in his circle, unable to move. It looked like he had managed to chain him seconds before he could touch Zoe.  _I can do that?_

The girl started to run towards them. Daggers were flying right past her head.

"Use your portals!", shouted Kayn at the terrified girl.

"I can't!", she screamed at him while throwing bubbles and spells everywhere. Once she reached them they all started to run together while mystic shots were aiming for them once again missing everyone.

"Well that was a warning shot!", they heard Ezreal 2.0 say. _I still have a sense of humour in this universe.. even if I'm a giant prick._

He spotted him out the corner of his eye and shot himself with multiple bursts of light, eliminating him.

"Does my hair really look that bad?", he asked the team. Katarina scoffed.

He tried to run faster. But he couldn't. He was stunned. And so was everyone else. Everyone except Luxanna and Katarina. It was as if he was imprisoned in a cell created out of nothing but light particles.

Luxanna gasped when she saw her friends like that. Quickly she spotted herself hiding inside a thick bush.

"By the light!", she yelled. A powerful blast came right through her batton in a straight line, but the other Luxanna had managed to avoid it.

"Is that how it is?", she heard her say before she revealed herself. "Darkness serve me!", the girl said before she completely trasformed herself.

Her dress turned to a dark purple and her hair a light shade of pink. Her batton had become black as she begun to shoot beams of darkness to herself. Lux was trying to shield herself and her friends but it was clear that mirror dimension Luxanna was aiming only at her. She was throwing light traps at her but she would always avoid them with ease. It was pointless.

Ezreal could do nothing but watch. He felt powerless. His shoulder was still aching but he had to try and help his friend.

Katarina was fighting both Sylas and herself. And honestly she was doing pretty good. He was impressed. Her daggers were flying everywhere. She jumped and grabbed them with ease. It didn't take her too long to eliminate the Sylas.

"Why do you resist? You and I are the same. It will all be over soon", said the alternate Luxanna to herself. Ezreal looked at his gauntlet and realized he could still shoot with it. Even imprisoned in the light. But she was standing way to far for him to hit her with his mystic shots.

A second later, it dawned on him. The barrage. It wasn't the other Ezreal who shot him with it. It was Sylas. And he knew that Sylas' chains absorbed magic. The barrage had to be HIS power.

He closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate as well as he could. He could feel the gauntlet twitching in his hand. He opened his eyes.

"Here comes everything!", he screamed distracting the girl with the purple dress from his Lux, giving her the perfect chance to imprison her in her light. A barrage of scarlet light was heading towards her and now there was nothing she could do to dodge it.

"Incinerate!", yelled Lux in her Sorcery Club uniform as the barrage was hitting her at the same time as her final spark.  _She's so cool!,_  Ezreal fangirled in his mind.

They felt the light around them fade as soon as the dark Lux was eliminated.

He turned to see Katarina, slicing herself in the throat. She was covered in blood but she walked towards them unphased as always.

"Let's go back. I'm sick of this place", she said and they walked towards the cave they had originally come from.

"You were amazing", the boy said to Lux while they were walking in the back of the group.

"I couldn't have done it without you Ez", she planted a kiss on his cheek. He was blushing. "We make a pretty good team don't you think?", she smirked.

"There's no doubt about that, my lady", he winked at her before they crossed the wooden door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Largest chapter so far! I really hope you guys will like it!


	17. Change

She felt a fist closing around her heart. She looked out her window. The sun was shining behind her shutters. Thin lines of light were falling gently on her bedroom floor. No one would ever do this for her. Or at least that's what she kept thinking throughout her entire life.

"You are a Crownguard. It is your duty to protect. Not to be protected." That was what her parents had been saying to her, ever since she was a little girl.

Sometimes she wished she could have been more like her brother Garen. But alas.. She was the problem child. As kids, they would always play together, sleep together. They would even dream together. They would become the top students in the Durrandal God-Weapon Academy. Heads of the Luminary Club. The Council. Like their parents were before them. But through the years their bond was fading. Garen would go on to become more and more distant as her powers grew. And so would her parents.

They knew that she was gifted with magic. But they made her hide it from their social circle. They accepted her enough to let her practice her magic alone at home but they forced her to hide her true potential. Deep down, she knew that they feared her. They feared what she was capable of. And when she got into the Sorcery Club instead of the Luminary, she felt like she would lose her brother forever.

But that wasn't the case. Her elder brother had even defended her to her parents when her Sorcery Club uniform had arrived at their mansion.

Her hands were trembling as she reminisced yesterday's events. She still felt exhausted after using so much mana. Luxanna closed her eyes for a brief moment but all she could see was him. A blurr of blond hair, jumping in front of her. Taking the shot in her place. A shot she hadn't even notice coming her way.

She was embarassed at how unguarded she was inside the mirror dimension. Just when she thought she could finally protect people with her powers, she came to the realization that she couldn't even protect herself.

She lied down on her bed bringing her knees closer to her chest.  _He saved me._  The phrase was lingering in her mind and she couldn't shake it off no matter how much she tried.

She didn't understand why the Academy would put them through a test like that. They could be dead right now. All of them.

 _But Ezreal.._  She remembered how they first met. A poor, clueless boy. He had barged into her world knowing almost nothing about it. Hell, he didn't even know that much about Luxanna herself. Yet he didn't hesitate. He didn't take the time to think about himself.

"Do you know why I'm here Lux?", Ezreal's voice echoed in her mind as she recalled their conversation.

"It's because I tried to steal shit from the library! That's who I am. That's what I do." he said pointing to his heart. "I'm nothing more than a common thief that Principal Yuumi took a pity on and she gave me a home".

 _Nothing more than a common thief.._  How ironic. Lux bit her fingernails. He was just a thief according to him but he was already better than anyone she knew. He had more heart than any of her high class acquaintances.

"I'm selfish", he had said.

 _No Ezreal. You are everything but selfish._  She slowly sat up, and put her hair up in a ponytail.

* * *

The healers had stuffed his body with drugs and painkillers, making him feel disoriented and dizzy. He felt as if his head was about to explode.

He tried to raise his hand to stroke his hair but he stopped when a sudden burst of electricity came coursing through his vains. His shoulder was covered in white, thick bandages. He remembered them turning red with blood the first time he met the healers.

They hadn't managed to heal his wound in its entirety because they said that the magic damage was too powerful. Most of them were obviously at a loss, saying something about how this magic was ancient and there was nothing more they could do to help.

"It will take some time. But after that you'll be as good as new", said a healer giving him a soft smile.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the drugs they had pumped him with, but he could have sworn that there was a horn growing out of her forehead. _Or I'm simply losing my mind. Perfect._

But on a second thought , he had finally realized how powerful his gauntlet really was. Or better yet, how powerful HE was. He was asleep for the mosts parts of the day. He had completely lost track of time and he felt too tired to ask questions.

On his nightstand, there was a glass vase filled with sunflowers. He didn't expect to get all sentimental over this, but there was comfort in knowing that someone had took the time to bring him flowers. No matter who it was. He could even give a hug to Sylas right now.  _Damn. Maybe I actually am going crazy. What's in these drugs?!_

He heard a faint knock in his door before a girl with red hair walked in. She was wearing a black short skirt under a white shirt. He noticed that most of her fingers were ornated with silver, elegant rings. He tried to sit up but he felt like someone was pulling him from his shoulder, so he quickly changed his mind.

"How are you feeling?", she asked still too hesitant to get any further into the room. Her hands were hidden behind her back, but he could tell that she holding something.

"I don't bite, you know", he challenged the girl to come closer to him. Even he was surprised that he was in the mood for silly games now.

She sighed with a smile and grabbed a chair, sitting right next to his bed.

"I'm better now that I have company", smiled Ezreal, but not too much as his wound started to burn him once again.

"You always have company", she chuckled. "Kayn hasn't left the waiting room since they brought you here. He's asleep now", she said whispering the last part as if it was a secret.

 _Aww he really does care for me,_  he mused half mockingly half genuinely moved.

"Here", she said revealing what she was hiding behind her back. It was a small box. A present.  _That's a rare sight.._

He eagerly opened it to find a bunch of cookies. As he observed them more he saw that some were shaped like stars, others like the moon and the sun.

"For me?", he asked Luxanna. His blue eyes were glowing like a little kid's and she simply nodded as he devoured one of them.

"It's the least I can do after what happened", she replied pointing to his wound.

"You don't need to thank me. You owe me nothing", he said while still chewing a cookie.

"But I do", she was completely expressionless. Her head was dangling between her shoulders. Ezreal swallowed but he was just looking at her, confused. He hadn't seen Lux like this before. In his memories, she was always smiling.

"Hey", he said as he tenderly lifted her chin with his fingers. "I did what anyone would do in my position. Don't sweat it". Her eyes were filled with tears ready to fall.

"But anyone didn't. YOU did".

She stood up and gave him a tight hug around his waist while her body was shaking. Ezreal furrowed his eyebrows and confusion but he simply run his fingers through her hair for a while and she didn't do anything to stop him.

"Thank you for saving me", she said looking at him in his eyes. Her cheeks were covered in tears.

Ezreal was left with his mouth agape, but the words were stuck in his throat. He felt an unpleasant knot in his stomach.

She walked towards the door and took a deep breath before she turned to smile at him like she always used to.

"See you around Ezreal", she said before she disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd experiment a little with a different POV but I don't want to abuse other POVs. I think there's a mystery when you see everything from one person's perspective and I really like that. Let me know what you think!


	18. Before the storm

Of all the people that he would have expected to visit him, he was the last one he ever thought he would see here.

He had walked into the infirmary confidently initially. But right now, as he was standing with his back against the concrete wall, Ezreal could see the various emotions flitting across his face.

Garen Crownguard was not a person whose words should be taken lightly. That much he had figured out already. But there was a shadow of doubt in his look, as he eyed Ezreal curiously across the room. Garen clenched his teeth for a moment before he began to speak.

"I heard about what happened in the test", he said with a croaky voice. Ezreal couldn't help but feel like he was being interrogated.  _I didn't do anything wrong so why am I feeling so damn nervous?_  He took a deep breath trying to keep his cool and gave him a curt nod.

"Luxanna told me that you saved her life". Each sentence that left his lips sounded like a question in the form of a formal statement. Ezreal swallowed hard.

"I did what anyone would have done for his-" What was Luxanna to him anyway?, a fleeting thought leaped into the back of his head but he didn't pause for a second. "-friend". He said timidly, perfectly aware that his answer wouldn't convince anyone.

Garen run his fingers through his hair in frustration as he grabbed a chair and sat right next to his bed.

"Don't give me that. Luxanna might be blind but I'm not. I've seen the way you look at her".

Ezreal blinked. He felt as if someone was trying to rip his heart from his chest and into the open air. He stared down his lap.

"Anyway I'm not here for that. I don't care why you did what you did. All I know is that you protected her when I couldn't".

Ezreal turned to look at him. A flush crept across his cheeks.

"I just came here to say..", he stopped talking for a moment and sighed. "I'm in your debt Lightfeather".

Ezreal shot him with a baffled look. For some reason he didn't know, he felt unworthy of being acknowledged by Garen Crownguard. He opened his mouth as he fumbled for a response inside his mind but Garen cut mercilessly through his thoughts.

"Thank you. For saving my little sister", he said staring directly into Ezreal's blue eyes.

He got up and he was already at the door before the blonde boy had the chance to utter a word. He noticed him shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His voice was raspy when he finally spoke but he never turned to face Ezreal.

"She might not realize it.. But I'm grateful that she has someone that loves her so much".

* * *

The rest of his days spent in the infirmary seemed monotonous and colorless. An odd assortment of blurred interactions and never ending moments. Kayn would only leave his side to get to class and Ezreal couldn't help but realize that he had finally acquired his first true friend.

His eyes turned bright whenever Lux would visit him, which fortunately for him was on an every day basis. All they did was make small talk but he felt happy nonetheless. As he sat there, confined in his bed next to the girl with the red hair, he felt a twinge of fear creeping into his heart.  _What if she only comes to see me because she feels indebt to me?_  That's what her brother Garen felt towards him as well.. He shooed the thought as quickly as it had dared to appear before everything would head to a downward spiral in his head.

Everyone from the group project had paid him a visit during his stay in the cold, empty infirmary room. Even Sylas. He was taken aback when the boy with they dark hair told him that he was "really cool" during the mirror dimension affair. Ofcourse, Lux was present at that time, so he reckoned he's playing it good guy around her but took the compliment with pleasure anyway.

He was also surprised when he found out that the sunflower bouquet had come from the mighty Katarina DuCuteau herself. The only thing that striked him as odd, was the fact that he hadn't seen Zoe since the day they had walked through the wooden door as a team.

When he was left alone all he did was being absorbed in a stream of thoughts and reminisces. Garen Crownguard's words remained buried deep inside his mind. "Someone that loves her so much".

He looked outside the window, his brows knitted together. Did he really love Lux? An air of stern, deep and irredeemable gloom came upon him. It was only natural that her elder brother would assume that Ezreal had acted on a passionate act of courage to save the one he loved. But did he?

He rested his chin on his palm and after an eternity of doubts and indecisions, he came to the conclusion that it didn't matter. In his heart, he knew that he cared about her. Deeply. Because in the blink of a moment that's what he had decided. Seeing her getting injured would hurt him more than taking the hit himself.

* * *

He buried his face in his pillow inhaling the familiar scent. The healers had finally let him off the hook and sent him back to his dorm room. He was even allowed to go back to class but he was prohibited from participating in any sort of Battle Club activities. They probably were right. His wound still felt sore.

He took his shirt off and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He sighed. The dandified, pretty-boy-looking man he expected to see was nowhere to be found. His whole frame seemed collapsed and shrinking and a nasty, permanent scar stained his shoulder.

Zoe appeared in front of him half a second later making him jump.

"Hello Ezre- Ahh!", she began to say but she was startled by the sight of a half naked Ezreal.

"You scared me to death!", the boy replied touching his chect with his palm.

"Well you scared me more!", she said as if it was a competition. Her cheeks flushed crimson but she did her best trying to mask her embarassement as Ezreal put his shirt back on.

"Where have you been? Everyone came to see me but you", said the blond as mockery crept into his tone. The girl was hesitant.

"I wanted to come and see you.. but I couldn't"..

"I guess you've just been soooo busy. I could have died!", said Ezreal dramatically. His arm was covering his eyes but he took a peak at her.

"Oh don't you guilt trip like that", she said angrily but she was just too cute to look intimidating. "I just..", she took a deep breath. "I just can't face Kayn".

Ezreal instantly turned serious when he saw her face drained of blood.

"Why? What happened?", he asked.

"In the test.. Kayn.. He..", Ezreal heard a tremor in her voice as he sat down next to her.

"It's alright. You can tell me", he reassured her.

"Well.. technically it wasn't our Kayn. It was the creature Rhaast..", she lifted her face towards her fellow Battle Club eyes were glistening with tears ready to fall but she somehow managed to remain calm. "I've been having nightmares about it.. I know it wasn't Kayn but still. I don't think that I can talk to him right now. I just feel so guilty. I've been avoiding him all this time and he doesn't even deserve this. He's a good friend you know", Zoe said her voice pitched with worry. "And I just can't face him because every time I look at him everything comes back to me and just-", she left her sentence unfinished as she buried her face into her palms.

The room had caught a solemn and awful quietude before Ezreal broke the silence. He lifted a comforting arm and touched Zoe's back. The girl didn't even flinch at his touch.

"It wasn't Kayn", he said with his velvet voice. "You have to deal with it by yourself Zoe. I know you are scared but you can't let this get to you. The Kayn I know would never do what the creature tried to do to you. I'm sure of it".

"You don't understand.. I couldn't even use my portals. That's how much he got to me.. You saw it", she hugged herself with her tiny hands.

"Things will go back to normal. I promise", he said lifting his pinky finger.

Zoe allowed herself a small, delicate smile as their pinky fingers touched.

"Alright", she said. Her voice now resembled the way she always spoke.

Ezreal patted her on the head annoying her but she simply shrugged it off.

"So how are you? How is your wound? Did the healers let you come back to school? The ball is next week! Are you coming? Have you already picked a suit? Do you want to go with me?"

The barrage of questions flooded the boy's mind.

"Hey, hey, hey slow down now!", Ezreal laughed. "One question at a time".

"So.. are you going to the ball?", asked Zoe. Her eyes were glowing.

"Probably? I haven't really thought about it".

"You can't miss this! It's gonna be awesome 'cause we are awesome and we'll have an awesome party with cake and stuff!", she chirped excitedly. Ezreal giggled at her excitement.

"Do you want to go with me?", she said unable to hide the redness across her cheeks. _I can't put this off any longer now can I?,_  he thought to himself half-heartedly.

"Zoe, I think we need to talk about this", he said as his expression turned solemn. Ezreal caught her confused searching intently for a sign across his face.

"I would love to go to the winter ball with you but I think I need to make this clear once and for all", he sighed. "I heard that you told the girls in our classroom that I'm your boyfriend".

Zoe bowed down her head as if she was being scolded.

"I like you Zoe but not.. the way you think". The girl with the floating hair stared at him silently before he continued. "I think you are one of my best friends here. And I don't want to lose you..", he took a deep breath before finishing off with "But I have feelings for someone else". Somehow it had seemed easier to admit this to Zoe than to himself.

Ezreal hoped that his honesty would at least be appreciated. He also prayed that he wasn't too late in saying this. Their friendship had to be salvaged.

"Is that a yes?", she asked like everything he said went right through one ear and out the other. He gasped unamused.

"Did you hear anything out of what I just said"?

"I did and you're probably right. I shouldn't have lied about our relationship", she said embarassed. "I'm not in love with you or anything, I just wanted to have something normal for a change. Something a girl my age would do. Like going to the ball with a boy. I haven't had a very normal life so far you know", she continued nervously.

"We can still go to the ball together", Ezreal extended his hand to her. "Friends"?

"Friends", she aggreed shaking his hand with a small smile.

Zoe opened a portal and took off before coming back in an instant

. "Aren't you gonna tell me who it is that you like?", she asked. A mischievous grin was spread across her face.

"Maybe some other time Zoe", Ezreal laughed. _Maybe some other time._


	19. Glow Up

"Please tell me you're not wearing.. that", Katarina pointed towards her dress with disgust written all over her face. Lux unwittingly dropped her gaze to her chest.

"Why? What's wrong with it?", she asked terrified gripping tight at the fabric.

"Nothing. That's what I'm saying", she scoffed. "It's too proper".

Luxanna looked at her herself in the mirror. She was wearing a sleeveless white lace gown. Delicate flower patterns were giving the dress an almost romantic feel. The red haired girl loved the way it was twirling around her legs when she walked.

She looked at what her friend was wearing. A black silky mermaid tail gown that perfectly fit her slim and athletic body. The deep neckline accentuated her breasts, making the entire outfit look way too provocative for Luxanna's taste.

"Well, we don't exactly have the same sense of style, do we?", she cackled nodding towards her friend's dress.

"I actually HAVE a sense of style that's the difference", Katarina snorted. "What time is Sylas picking you up"?

 _Sylas._  Luxanna felt a lump in her thought as her heart grew heavier. "He's not picking me up", she said with a smile.

"What? I thought you were going to the ball with him", Katarina asked, her brows were knitted together. "Don't tell me you're going with-"

"I'm just going to meet him at the venue!", she chirped excitedly. Katarina sighed unapollogetically.

"Are you sure that this is what you want? I mean.. Did you believe this Zoe girl even for a sec? Like come on", Katarina looked at her friend under furrowed eyebrows. "All I heard since the first day of school was Ezreal this, Ezreal that and now you wanna go to the Ball with Sylas Dregbourne? I mean sure he's hot but ..are you blind? The guy is faker than Miss Fortune's tits! Plus, he's a peasant".

"What does that have to do with anything? I'm not interested in that".

Luxanna gazed down her bare feet. But the pink haired girl continued lecturing her.

"It's just.. Forget about the peasant part, I just don't like him. He has something menacing in his look. But at least he had the balls to ask you out, compared to the other peasant, so I'll give him that much". Lux huffed irritated.

"You're wrong", she decided to speak up. Katarina sat down on Lux's desk and rested her chin on her palms.

"How so?", she asked mockingly.

"Ezreal.. did ask me to the Ball"..

"Then why are you going with Sylas!? You could have just said yes! Man, you're making your life so hard", Katarina rolled her eyes.

"Because he asked me first!", Luxanna admitted, feeling embarassed. "I didn't think anyone else would've asked me and I didn't wanna go a-" Lux's words were stuck in her throat. Katarina squinted her eyes at her.

"Alone? What's wrong with going alone"?

"Nothing", she whispered.

Katarina chuckled. "Come here princess", she said pointing to a chair in front of a mirror. "Just let me do your hair and make up and after tonight, you'll have two peasant boyfriends. Not just one"

* * *

Kayn was trying to fix his tie in vain in front of the mirror while Ezreal was slapping his forehead in sight of his friend's futile efforts.

"You know I'm really trying my best not to make fun of you right now", the blond boy said hoping that his voice wouldn't crack with laughter.

Kayn's concentrated face with furrowed eyebrows made him even funnier in Ezreal's eyes as he was trying to be somewhat fashionable for the first time in forever.  _Most likely._

"Shut up idiot", he said before Zoe popped up in their room. Kayn was so focused on his tie that he didn't even notice her at first.

"What's he doing?", she whispered to Ezreal with the back of her hand covering her mouth.

"Isn't amazing? It's like watching a nature documentary", Ezreal replied trying to sound captivated by Kayn's movement. "The tiny alpaca tries to walk for the first time", he sniffed as he wiped an invisible tear from his eye. "It's... beautiful".

"Do you mind keeping your mouth shut? I'm trying.. something", he said licking his lips. Zoe sighed.

"Oh come on I can't bare to watch this anymore", she said pulling Kayn's tie down making him crouch to get to her eye level. With a few swift movements his tie seemed perfect. Kayn looked at his reflection proudly.

"See Ez? I told you I could do this by myself", he grinned. Zoe rolled her eyes so hard, Ezreal thought that they might get stuck in the back of her skull.

"Good job", Ezreal said ironically as he slow clapped.

"I've brought you these", Zoe said. In her hands were two roses. A white one and a red one. "They're for your jackets".

The boys moved closer towards the roses. Both of them were in their black suits. Ezreal's hair was slicked back, bringing his bright blue eyes in the spotlight, while Kayn's long hair was put up in a bun.

"Dibs on the red one!", yelled Kayn before Ezreal had any say on the matter.

"Fine. Give me the other one", replied the blond boy visibly bummed.

"I think you guys are ready to be my dates now", Zoe said once both roses were tucked in their suit pockets.

The boys looked at eachother quizzically.

"Oh what did we ever to do to deserve being blessed with your presence, m'lady", said Kayn dramatically. Zoe smirked mischievously.

"You're doing well Shieda", she winked at Kayn. "Lightfeather better take notes or you might lose me forever".

"Oh bother", replied Ezreal giving a light punch to his upper thigh.

"Come on now", she put her hands over both their shoulders. "Let's have an awesome night!", she said as she teleported the three of them to the venue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a big one ;)


	20. The Winter Ball: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who like to read with music I recommend Instant Crush by Daft Punk! That's what I was listening to while writing it. Anyway! I hope you guys like it!

All of Kayn's good efforts to look presentable had been abandoned the minute he laid eyes on the giant bouffet. Red sauce was dripping from his lips all over his white shirt.

"You got a little something..", Ezreal told him pointing to his own lips.

"Where?", the boy asked genuinely concerned.

"Here", Ezreal pointed to his own chin, with a disgusted frown plastered on his face. Kayn wiped his chin quickly with a white papertowel but there were still visible traces of the sauce on his face.

"Better?", he asked.

"Sure", Ezreal grinned awkwardly lifting his shoulders.

"Oi Zoe, come here!", Kayn yelled at Zoe who was walking around the giant hall talking to seemingly everyone there. She looked adorable with her slick ponytail and her puffy short dress. Her earrings were shaped like cherries, giving her an even sweeter look.

"What!? Get this over with quickly! I can't be seen talking to you. You look.. so primitive", she replied angrily but still obliged to Kayn's request.

"Do you have a bag with you?", he asked her completely indifferent to how he looked. His eyes were glowing with mischief.

"Why do YOU wanna know?", she answered him squinting her eyes in suspicion.

"It's the girls job to carry bags to put boys' things inside", he laughed but he meant every word.

"That's what girlfriends do with their boyfriends. Not random guys"!

"You are girl. You are friend", Kayn's reply only seemed to further prove Zoe's point that he acted like a savage. "What else do you need to do me a teeny tiny favor?", he said as he took a sip of his drink.

The punch was admittedly a bit too strong. Even Ezreal felt it despite being used to drinking. Piltover culture. They don't care who's drinking. They just wanna sell bottles.  _And they're goddamn right to do so._

"What do you want?", she huffed.

"I want you to stuff your bag with these", he grinned trying to look charming as he showcased a plate of shrimps in his hands. She blinked.

"Seriously!? You are a fuckin' freeloader".

"Please Zoe! I will never ask for anything else!", he had put the plate down now as he folded his hands together. It almost looked like he was praying to Zoe. "Please"!

Zoe smirked.

"You'll do anything for this"?

Kayn nodded sincerely.

"You swear?", she asked. The devilish smile never left her lips.

"I swear", he sighed feeling frustrated after making a deal with the devil himself.

Zoe smiled and opened her clasp purse. Kayn's mouth was agape. Ezreal watched in terror as his shock turned to anger in the blink of an eye. Her purse was already overflowing with shrimps.

"I'M the freeloader!?", he frantically whispered.

"Well, you are. Technically".

"I'll kill her", he told Ezreal calmly. The blond boy bursted into manic laughter as the two of them carried on with their playful banter.

* * *

Every girl and every guy had went the extra mile trying to look their best. That much was pretty obvious to everyone. The boys in their mostly black suits and the ladies parading around in their evening gowns. Their jewels shined bright when the lights hit them.

Ezreal's eyes were focused on the play of the shimmering lights on everyone's clothes until she came. Then all the lesser lights paled into insignificance.

He stood with his back against the wall with a drink in each hand. He felt someone poking his shoulder but he simply coulnd't take his eyes off of her. She looked like an otherwordly being to him.

Her hair was in a loose braid that ended in a cute bun inches above her nape while soft, curly strands of hair fell gently around her face. Ezreal couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between her white dress and her black smokey eyes. He noticed Katarina walking alongside her like a proud mom showing off her daughter to the world. But Lux's glittering smile was so infectuous that he had unwittingly started to smile as well.

Kayn's fingers barged into his line of vision, snapping him back to reality.

"Quit grinning like an idiot. You look creepy as fuck".

Ezreal scratched the back of his head trying to look cool.  _I mean.. not that being cool is really an option at this point._

He was ready to finally take a step towards her when he spotted him.  _Sylas. Fucking. Cockblocker. I mean.. uhm.. Dregbourne._

Ezreal clenched his teeth as he saw him giving her a bunch of flowers.  _Hmph._  Ezreal had a firm belief that guys who bought flowers for girls had cheated on them or worse and they only bought them nice things to ease their own conscience.

His heart sank when he saw Luxanna looking pleased with Sylas' gesture. She hadn't even noticed him.. He was just a bystander. He pondered whether he should get drunk tonight.

* * *

_Help me. Help me. Help. ME._  Luxanna was screaming in her mind. _Is it possible to faint from pure good looks?_  She noticed him as soon as she entered the huge room.

A quick glance was enough for her to imprint every detail about his appearance in her memory.  _I knew he'd look good in a suit! Wait.. Why does he have two drinks?_  She wondered.  _I hope he isn't getting himself drunk. Did he change his hair? It looks so different. Yet so cool.. Like a true gentleman._  She let herself imagine what being in his arms would feel like for a second. She sighed inside her mind but her face betrayed none of her lewd thoughts. Years of her family teaching her how to behave and become a proper lady had paid off this evening.

The sight of a beautiful rose bouquet silenced her inner monologue. Luxanna looked up at the man who was offering it to her.

Sylas stood with confidence in his grey suit. His light grey eyes matched his outfit as they sparkled under the soft lighting of the room. Luxanna smiled as she took the flowers. Her words were stuck in her throat. She was taken aback by this gesture. No one had ever offered her roses before. She felt her heart beating a bit faster. Could Sylas actually be in love with her?

"I.. they reminded me of your hair when I saw them", Sylas grinned awkwardly. Luxanna nodded sniffing a red rose.

"They're beautiful. Thank you", she said giving him a genuine smile, making every hint of cowardice disappear from the boy's gaze.

"Wanna dance?", he asked the girl offering his arm to her.

"With pleasure", she replied passing the bouquet to Katarina. The pink haired girl rolled her eyes as she pretended to shoot herself in the mouth with her hand.

They walked arm in arm, mingling with the crowd. Luxanna couldn't help but be impressed with how muscular his arm felt under his jacket. The music was upbeat when they started goofing around with eachother on the dancefloor, but less than a minute later the song was changed to one with a slower tempo. A ballad.

Luxanna felt Sylas' arms gripping her waist gently. He tenderly leaned his head over her shoulder closing up the empty space between them, urging Lux to do the same as she put her arms around his neck. His figure was solid allowing the girl to feel the stability and security she needed to let Sylas lead.

She could feel his hot breath in her ear but she didn't mind. He smelled like a mixture of cinammon and something else. Something she couldn't quite identify. Something that was entirely unique to Sylas.

As they twirled around she took a peak at the crowd. Her gaze landed on him. His sapphire eyes made him stand out from the rest of the people. They were always making her feel a sweet warmth inside. But right now all she felt was an icy fist closing violently around her heart.

He took a sip from his drink without breaking eye contact, forcing her to be the one to avert her eyes first. She felt as if her feet were glued to the ground but she was moving. Following Sylas' every step. And so she did.. Till the song was over.

* * *

He walked outside breathing in the night air. He could still hear muffled music coming from the packed room, even as he stood on the small balcony. A sense of familiarity overcame him as the sweet aroma of pine trees and fir trees reached him. He looked up at the sky trying to find some stars as if his life depended on it but the night was dark.

His vibrant blue eyes sparkled as the air pricked his skin with its icy fingers. He took a peak down and instantly regretted it. He felt dizzy when he realized how high off the ground he was. Plus, he was already feeling a bit tipsy after drinking from every glass he could get his hands on.

The nameless sadness which is always born of moonlight slowly crept into his heart. He felt like his tie was choking him, so he loosened it as he gasped for more air. He rested his forehead on top of his folded forearms as he leaned against the railing.

* * *

"Hey guys.. uhm.. having fun?", she asked Zoe and Kayn who were still chilling around the bouffet. She couldn't decipher their looks so she continued talking "Nice dress Zoe! You look beautiful"!

"I know", Zoe flicked her hair. Kayn cleared his throat and looked at the girl.

"I guess you look kinda cute as well", Zoe said as a satisfied smile made its way to Kayn's lips. Lux giggled.

"You two are bickering like an old married couple", she said before she took the time to actually think about it.

"WE'RE SO NOT"!, they answered in unison making Lux cackle even harder. The girl could see the obvious flush across Zoe's cheeks but this time she chose to remain silent about it.

She took a quick glance around the large table.

"So.. where's Ezreal? Don't tell me he didn't come", she said shyly pretending that she never saw him.

"He's somewhere around here. Probably in the bathroom. He's been chugging this punch like water", Kayn laughed as Lux felt a tinge of guilt piercing through her.

"You guys should go dance. Don't just stand there!", Luxanna tried to encourage them.

"I'm just here for the hot singer", Kayn lifted both his shoulders nonchallantly.

"How do you even know she's gonna be hot?", asked Zoe irritated. Kayn smirked.

"They always are".

She felt someone tapping her shoulder.

"Luxanna. Do you have a moment? I.. need to talk to you about something", Sylas asked. His worried facial expression made her give him her full attention.

"Sure", she replied. "See you later guys", she said to Kayn and Zoe as she followed Sylas to a nearby balcony.

* * *

"So what did you want to talk about?", Ezreal's reflexes made him immediately duck and hide once he recognised Lux's voice coming from the adjacent balcony.

"Just something I've had on my mind for a while now, Little Light", Sylas' serpent-like voice made his stomach churn.  _You slimey bastard._

Ezreal couldn't see them but their voices provided him with more than enough information to create mental images. He heard applause coming from the hall. A female voice broke through it. He assumed it was the singer they had all been waiting for.

"Here. You're shivering", Sylas said. Ezreal imagined him putting his jacket over Lux's shoulders.

"Thanks".

"The show's starting. Everyone's looking fo-", Zoe was stunned as Ezreal covered her mouth with his hand.

"Please. Shut up", he whispered in her ear as they both ducked. His palm was never leaving her lips despite the fact that she wasn't even resisting anymore.

"I'm sure by now you've realized that I like you more than a friend Luxanna", Sylas continued. A pang of jealousy irked Ezreal's gut.

"Actually, I didn't.. realize", Lux replied timidly. _Really Lux? You're trying to tell me you are THAT clueless? I'm not buying this._

"I thought that much was clear when I asked you to the Ball", the boy said confused.  _You and me both Sylas! I actually feel for the guy right now._

"I.. didn't think that the Ball was that big of a deal", she explained.

"Well.. it doesn't matter Little Light. Because my feelings aren't going away in a day or two. For that I'm sure". His voice sounded calm and determined.

"I'm going to be honest with you. I don't really know what to say right now. You've taken me by surprise".

"You don't have to say anything. Just stay still".

Ezreal never thought that silence could be so deafening.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20! I can't believe I've written 20 chapters of this! But there are still so many more things I want to write! Thank you to everyone who has supported me since I've started this story! Your support means everything to me and encourages me to try harder! See you all in the next chapter! ;)


	21. The Winter Ball: Part 2 or All Hell Breaks Loose

His lips felt too hot as they brushed against her own. A surge of heat rushed through her body. Without realizing what she was doing Luxanna was kissing him back, until she heard herself chanting a mantra in her head.  _This is not right. This is not right. This is not right._

Sylas' lips began to feel wet and sticky. Her hand was at the back of his neck. An unsettling sensation sat at her heart as the tangled emotions made her feel like she wanted to vomit. But no. Things got even worse when the boy with the long, dark hair decided to slip his tongue into her mouth deepening the kiss.

She felt her pulse pounding against her temples. His hold felt like a desperate embrace and she was too self-conscious with everything that was happening to relax. She wanted to escape but she felt that it would be too cruel to leave him like that. Unconscioucly, her body was drifting away from his, but his fingers were gripping too tightly at her arms to actually let her stray away.

His kiss was affectionate yet somehow disturbingly possessive. She wanted this to stop. But she didn't want to hurt him.

If she was unsure of her feelings towards Ezreal, she now had finally come to terms with the facts. She was in love with him. And no man's touch would make her feel satisfied but his.

"I love you", Sylas' velvet voice said to her. Something cracked inside of her.

All she could feel as she sat there, unable to break away from Sylas' arms was that she was unclean. A cold iron hand gripped her heart as a horrible sense of shame overwhelmed her.

Sylas looked at her face. He looked so genuinely happy, which made the unpleasant sensation in her stomach grow even stronger.

"Luxanna.. I can give you everything.. Everything you want. If only you will let me. I can be the man you want", he smiled softly as his thumb traced the line of her cheekbone.

 _You can't._  Her name sounded odd in his lips. His hand felt like a forreign material against her pale white skin.

For the first time in a while, her head was empty of thought as the air around her darkened swiftly. She forced a fake smile.

"I had to do that. Even once. I had to know what it felt like", he said stroking her hand tenderly. She knew that it was her turn to say something but her lips remained painstakingly sealed as she mentally fumbled for a response.

"Please. Say something". She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes but she simply blinked and took a deep breath. She wasn't going to let this happen. Not in front of him.

"I-", a loud thud from the room interrupted her as the music suddenly stopped.

Without hesitating she darted towards the hall, leaving Sylas alone, half thankful for whatever it was that saved her from the awkward situation.

She stood beside the long silky curtains when she spotted him emerging from the silk as well. Cold blue eyes locked onto Lux's almost nervous gaze. His blank glare chilled her. She felt like a deer in the headlights. Her mind began to flood with a formless dread. She prayed that her lipstick wasn't smeared all over her face.

Questions and doubts were troubling her already tormented consience.  _Did he see me?_  The hall began to spin, but Ezreal's look left no room for any more doubts. _He knows. He knows about the kiss.._

"Lights out..", a seductive female voice said before the room plummeted in darkness. Instictively she threw her fist up at the sky as if she was throwing glitter in the air, filling the room with vibrant particles of light.

She squinted her eyes trying to see better, but there was no strange woman. Anywhere. She felt a large hand tapping on her shoulder. It was Professor Graves, gun in hand, ready to shoot.

"Get everyone outside. Now", he ordered her and she swiftly nodded before she started to run and guide everyone outside with her light.

* * *

"Got your gauntlet?", Professor Graves asked him. He saw Lux running as fast as she could.

"Uh.. Yeah".

"Good. Follow me". Laughter echoed in the room but they couldn't see where it was coming from. _Who is she?_

"What's going on?", Sylas asked coming to the party a bit too late.  _Like the clueless fuck he was. Now's not the time Ezreal. Get your shit together._  He cursed himself as he waved for Sylas to follow him and the boy did just that.

The three of them were inside the bathroom along with a few other students.

"Listen up. We gotta kill her as soon as she shows her face. Got it?", Graves announced.

"Wait. But she's invisible! I don't even know what she looks like. And why only us? There are other people here", asked Sylas and Graves immediately hit him in the back of his head.

"Ouch", Sylas began to complain but Professor Graves had already moved on, paying him no attention whatsoever.

"Lightfeather. It's the singer. Evelynn. Flimsy outfit. Purple hair. Most likely a freak in bed. Trust me you can't miss her. Shoot on sight". Ezreal nodded decisively readying his gauntlet. But Graves lit up a cigar right on front of his face.  _He has to smoke now?!_

"The Protector bought enough time for everyone. I sent the Crownguard girl to help him evacuate. Most of them are already outside", he let the smoke float in the atmosphere. "Probably".

"Professor! How can I help?", asked Kayn. Ezreal was surprised he hadn't noticed him there before.

"Stay outta my way. You're unarmed. Don't even bother. Just get out of here", he took a look around the bathroom. Most of the students there belonged to the Sorcery Club. "Most of you can't even control your powers yet. Don't interfere. You'll only make things worse", he stomped on his cigar.

* * *

The plan was pretty simple. The three of them would stick together back to back to have vision of every possible corner she could attack from. And when she did, she would die.  _What's more straightforward than that?_

Lux's light was still shinning bright over their heads, providing them with the necessary vision.

Ezreal could hear Sylas' chains being dragged across the floor. It was annoying.

A faint laughter reached his ears.

"Ooh.. are you lonely?", a taunting voice asked him. "I can help.. Just let Evelynn take over", he felt her breath against his ear but there was no one there.

"Did you hear that?", Ezreal asked the others.

"Hear what?", Sylas replied.  _She's targetting me._

He witnessed his body being consumed by a weird eerie smoke while Professor Graves was slowly fading from his line of vision. Panic rose up to his chest.

The female voice sniggered.

"Hello love.. Don't be shy.. That skin looks good on you, but it would look better on my bedroom floor", Ezreal looked around him trying to locate her but everything was in vain.

He was alone in a dark room. His balance was starting to feel off.

"First time being tortured? Don't worry, I'll do everything. You know you want me", she said in her mellodic voice.

He squinted his eyes. Lux's light was still hanging above his head. It was not very visible but it was enough for him to snap out of her charm.

"Sorry honey. I'm taken". Graves' hand was on his shoulder.

"You good Lightfeather?", he asked concerned but kept his vision around the room.

"Yes sir", Ezreal replied with his arm outstretched, ready to shoot at anything that came across him.

"Ooh la la", Evelyn appeared on stage momentarily. Both the Professor and him had shot at her direction only to miss her.

"Don't try to tell me I'm not gorgeous Blondie", the demon said lurking in the shadows.

"Show your face you coward bitch", Graves demanded. "And I promise you won't die of natural causes".

"Pfft, pillow talk", Evelyn said as giant spikes emerged from the ground making them break formation. Ezreal had to arcane shift away to be left unscathed.

Spikes were emerging from all over the ground trying to impale them but he noticed that she couldn't attack from the shadows. Her form appeared for a split second everytime a new spike was planted on the ground. He felt his wound starting to burn him again.

"Enough foreplay", she said. She was ready to cast a spell to draw out even more thorns but Professor Graves caught her off guard shooting a bullet right through her stomach. He had predicted her attack pattern.

Quietude fell over the room. The sound of the gunshot still echoing between the walls.

"Show's over boys. Time to find a new toy", she said before she lashed out revealing her true form to them for a split second. Her fangs and claws were hideous. She broke the window behind her with her tail as she escaped the building.

Professor Graves rushed towards the broken glass and he looked out the window frame for a few seconds before he turned to look at Ezreal. She was gone.

* * *

"Ezreal wait"! The sound of her voice startled him. Most people had left by now. He was already almost out but for some reason he could not explain, he was unable to disobey her command.

He puffed out a sigh. He felt exhausted as they both stood still under the cold glare of the desolate night. Hesitantly, she took a few more steps towards him.

"Are you okay?", she asked. Her voice was full of worry.

"I've seen better days.. But what can you do? Occupational hazards", he said with a dull expression on his face.

Darkness oozed out from between the trees all around them creating a heavy and menacing atmosphere.

"Listen.. Before all this happened.. I-I can explain", Lux stammered but she seemed too disoriented to continue. He pulled a loose strand of hair away from his face but he stared at the girl patiently as pride was working busily within him.

"It-It wasn't.. what you thought it was", he heard a treacherous throb in her voice. She seemed to mentally curse herself for not being articulate enough with her words.

"What are you talking about Luxanna?", Ezreal deemed that playing it stupid was the best course of action in his situation. He could tell that hearing him say her real name brought her great distress. _Good._

"Sylas.. he kissed me", she whispered staring at her shoes.

"And why are telling _me_  this?", he asked. The incessant pounding of his blood rushing filled his ears. A quick flame leaped in his eyes. "I just fought a demon. What do I care about your love life? I'm just your friend anyway", the distressed tone of his voice was tangible.

Her eyes dilated with fear and pain. For a moment he felt the need to comfort her. To be there for her. But his dignity counseled him to stay quiet.

He realized that he found the silence intolerably irksome as it reminded him of another silence. One that he had had no control over as he hid in a tiny balcony with his hand over a girl's mouth. Helpless anger began to shimmer in him.

"Ezreal I.." her voice was trembling. "Sylas says he can be the man I want".

"So?", Ezreal raised an eyebrow at her. "Good for him".

"He says he loves me", she continued trying to keep her voice steady.

Ezreal sniggered.

"I bet he'll just buy you more flowers every time he screws up. Isn't that what you girls want anyway"?

He walked closer to her and put his hands over her shoulders, shaking her lightly. The girl raised her gaze and looked up at his eyes. He had to fight the urge to avert his gaze away from her face. The moonlight made her sapphire eyes sparkle as the boy noticed the tears tracking slowly down her cheeks.

"A cheesy promise of romance? Is that what you want Lady Crownguard?", mockery crept in his tone. He could see her searching his face intently for an answer.

"I'm sorry but that's not love".

"What  _is_?", she asked as her voice cracked.

He was seething with suppressed wrath but he looked at her directly in her eyes as he said:

"It's getting to know someone. And the more time you spend with her, the better it makes you feel". Luxanna bit her lip.

He capped her face with his hands but he continued.

"To the point that spending time with others makes you feel nothing". He paused. "Nothing compared to this. It's not giving a girl your jacket because she's cold". He spat out the last phrase as if it was poison, letting his hands drop from her face.

It was obvious now that he knew everything that happened in the balcony, but at this point he couldn't care less.

He turned his back to leave when he felt a frigid touch of the hand. He shook it off without even turning to face the girl. The boy left a sobbing mess behind him while his shoes left a trail of footprints in the mud.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split this chapter into two parts as I thought that it might have been too long to put everything in one go. I really hope you guys enjoyed it!


	22. Frozen Heart

_Something is odd._  Kayn may not have been the most observant man in the world, that much he knew but something weird was definitely under the tip of his nose. He just couldn't quite put his finger on what that was.

He nudged Ezreal on his back with his knee.

"Oi. Wake up". Ezreal grumbled in response.

"Ez. We'll be late. Get dressed".

Kayn sighed and got in front of the mirror to straighten his shirt collar. His blue strand of hair stood out among the rest of his black hair. He braided them in under a minute to get his signature hairstyle. He stuck his tongue out at his reflection pointing his index fingers at it.

"Get your lazy ass up!", Kayn yelled at the still sleeping boy. He heard someone take a deep breath behind him, so he assumed he must have finally woken up.

* * *

"You're shitting me right now. I'm not taking you with me looking like this", Kayn was already at the door.

"Like what?", the blonde boy asked sluggishly.

"THIS!", he gestured to him vaguely.

Ezreal looked down to his clothes. His shirt was wrinkled, half hanging out of his pants, his tie was loose and his shoes were dirty with mud. Even his hair were messier than usual.

"I don't see what your problem is", he lifted his shoulders without a care in the world, infuriating Kayn even more. He was ready to throw a fit, but he decided that it was too early in the morning to have that kind of energy.

"Fine. Just fix your shirt", Kayn rolled his eyes.

* * *

Professor Graves was scribbling something on the black board. Sometimes he actually did teach them something. Kayn sat at his desk, his hand supporting his chin.  _I'm bored._  He looked at his friend sitting on the desk right next to his, as he was stifling a yawn.

"Ez", he whispered but the boy didn't hear him.

"Ez", he repeated himself but his friend seemed to be utterly detached from life. He saw him leaning against his elbows with half closed eyes.

He knew that the demon had used its charm on him. He heard from the others. Because ever since the incident Ezreal hadn't really been his annoyingly talkative self.

Stories of people who went mad after coming at such close proximity to demons rummaged through his mind. People in Ionia spoke of others who took the lives of their husbands and daughters under the demons' spell. Before taking their own lives once they realized what they had done. It was too late for their salvation. And the demons were eager to feast on their terror and agony.

Could Ezreal's experience with Evelynn have affected him so much? He hated to admit it but it was true. He was worried about his roommate.

* * *

Kayn walked towards the cafeteria with an Ezreal tailing him in silence.

 _What's for lunch?_  His eyes sparkled when he saw the sign for today's specials.  _Soup._  His enthusiasm levels dropped down drastically. _Tsk._  He clicked his tongue.

They sat down at their usual table in the school cafeteria. Ezreal kept fumbling with his spoon. Dipping it in his bowl then dropping all the liquid back into it. It was annoying as fuck.

"Will you stop playing with your food?", he asked running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Sorry", Ezreal said putting his spoon on the side of his tray. This settled his nerves that he hadn't realized had been buzzing since they sat down.

_I'm probably going to regret this but.._

"What's up with you?", he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Nothing", Ezreal said. "Why"?

He opened his mouth to reply when he saw Luxanna and Katarina carrying their trays of food a few tables over. Sylas was seemingly offering Lux his seat by bowing down to her in an extravagant manner.

"Uhh.. thanks?", he heard Luxanna say as Sylas kissed her hand. _Whatever._

He was going to put another spoonful in his mouth when he heard Ezreal speak.

"Look at this pathetic moron. I'd hate to be him", said Ezreal trying to disguise his jealousy as chill critical impartiality. Kayn always thought he was oblivious to things like that but honestly. This guy could never hide.

Kayn sniggered.

"Yeah. What a moron".

"Kayn! Did you hear about the new hottest couple in town?", Zoe sat down next to him assuming she was always welcome.

"Wow did you finally get a boyfriend? Should I give a call to the landlord? Tell him to sell the cats?", he asked sarcastically. Riling Zoe up was always a fun pastime.

The girl sulked at his comment momentarily then folded her arms.

"Wouldn't  _you_  like to know about it?", she teased.

Kayn snorted before he starting to move closer and closer to her lips.

"You can't handle me anyway love", he winked before he backed down. Zoe simply rolled her eyes at him.

"Anyway... I'm talking about Sylas Dregbourne and Luxanna"!

Ezreal choked on his soup but neither of them really paid attention to him.

"Who?", his eyebrows were knit together.

"Sylas. And. Luxanna", she echoed dully.  _Oh boy. This can't be good._

His gaze landed on Ezreal before it faltered and fell. Loud laughter was coming from Luxanna's table. The blond boy was staring at his bowl.

"Yeah, apparently they hooked up at the Ball", Zoe continued narrating her story. "Funny thing is we were there when it actually happened", she chuckled.

"We? As in..?", Kayn asked clearly at a loss.

"Me and Ezreal! Didn't he tell you? We were actually eavesdropping from the adjacent balcony! They never knew", she whispered maliciously. "Wasn't it funny Ezreal?", she giggled. Sylas and his friends all bursted into laughter as if they all agreed with what Zoe said.

Suddenly, Ezreal got up and threw his bowl off the table with the back of his hand. Smashing it into pieces and leaving traces of soup on the floor between the adjacent tables.

Kayn could see the angry blood burn in his face as he stormed out of the room. Everyone was looking at them and Kayn realized he was no longer sitting.

"I.. uh.. guess he didn't like the soup", he chuckled nervously before he followed his friend.

* * *

 _What the hell am I doing? Maybe I'm the one who's the pathetic moron after all.._  Without realizing it, his feet had dragged him to his dorm room. He laid down on his bed still wearing his shoes and stared at the ceiling.

He heard the door open then close with a loud thud.

"What the fuck was that for?", Kayn demanded to know.

He grabbed Ezreal by his vest, shaking him violently.

"Did this demon get into your head that bad"?

"Get off of me", Ezreal shoved his roommate away.

Kayn rubbed his eyes, trying to regain his cool.

"I'm sorry, that was.. uhm.. a bit overdramatic. But you made me do it! What was all that about in the cafeteria? Huh? And what's with all this brooding face type of shit? I'm scared for you man. What if Evelynn's charm is still in you"..

Ezreal chuckled. Laughing felt odd on his face for some reason.

"Don't worry I'm not into Popstars", was all he said. He heard Kayn sigh in relief as he sat on the small office chair.

Ezreal was still staring at the celing when his lips moved without thinking.

"Why does being in love hurt so much my friend?", by the time he realized what had come out of his mouth Kayn was already laughing hysterically banging his claws on the desk like a lunatic.  _Is it too late to take that back?_

He kept going at it for a few more seconds before he finally calmed down.

"You've been like this all weekend.. because of.. love"?

"Well..", Ezreal managed to say before Kayn broke out in a new round of unstoppable laughter.  _It's not even funny! Your friend is suffering you heartless monster!_

"Okay, okay. I'll try to behave myself", he said wiping the tears from his eyes. Kayn took a deep breath.

"So.. is what Zoe said true"?

Ezreal nodded.

"Does _she_  know you know"?

"You could say that we had a.. chat. Not a very pleasant one", Ezreal scratched his head. "She just came and showed off to me. Saying how Sylas loves her and shit", he gritted his teeth.

"Hold on. I'm not following", said Kayn blinking.

"What don't you get? She figured that I found out and she came to me to show off".

"Uh.. and why would she do that?", his roommate furrowed his eyebrows.

"I dunno. Maybe she's a sadist", he huffed.

"Let's be real. Do you really think Luxanna is into Sylas"?

"She likes him enough to go and kiss him. That's for sure", said Ezreal clearly red with anger.

"I dunno man. I'm not the best at this kind of stuff, but it never seemed to me that she was ever that into Dregbourne".

Ezreal scoffed.

"You'll get your chance lover boy. So stop being a pathetic whimp and start being a man. Who says they'll last anyway? If I were Luxanna I'd choose you over Sylas in a heartbeat".

A faint transient whistful smile lightened his brooding face as he stood up from his bed. He rested his hand over Kayn's shoulder for a moment.

"Aww.. That's sweet.. But I don't swing that way".

Kayn instantly gave him a kick in his ribbs as Ezreal tried to run away laughing.

"That's what I get for trying to be supportive!", Kayn growled. "I should have let you wallow in self pity"!

_Hmm.. Whataya know.. Maybe Kayn isn't a heartless monster after all._


	23. Clarity

Professor Graves cleared his throat in an attempt to silence his unruly class, but no one seemed to pay any attention to the man with red beard. Calmly, he straightened his glasses and then proceeded to yell.

"Shut the hell up, you spoiled brats". The classroom instantly became eerily quiet. Professor Graves smiled delicately now. Content with himself.

The rain outside was pounding away at the old building.

"And now that I finally have your attention", he said sarcastically. "I have an announcement to make".

He was met with nothing but confused looks from his students. Ezreal included. But the blonde boy didn't even bother to lift his head from his desk as he was stiffling a yawn.

"There's a reason why I assigned you with the Project at the beginning of the semester. You got into the Mirror Reality as I'm sure you all remember".

Ezreal bit the inside of his cheek. He had saved Lux back then.. And she had come to the infirmary every day after that.. Just to see him.. He shook his head at the memory.

Graves kept reading a piece of paper out loud.

"Our Academy was founded by Sir Durrandal as I'm sure you all know. What some of you may not know is that Sir Durrandal's brother had also founded an Academy for gifted people such as yourselves. The two schools have always had a great bond ever since they had been created by the brothers. To commemorate them, every year, each Academy's top students are sent as representatives of their Club, to duel with the other Academy's counterpart. Both first and second year students can be chosen as representatives".

The Professor slowly raised his head to face his pupils.

"Capiche"?

Ezreal raised an eyebrow. He was finally interested enough to stop lying down on his still heart-filled desk.  _No Professor. We do not capiche at all._

It must have been obvious to Graves that nobody understood because he sighed and continued to speak.

"Let me put this simply", he said as he crumpled up the paper in his hands and tossed it on the floor over his shoulder.

"I'm going to call out the names of the ones who scored the highest scores in the Mirror Test from each Club. From Warband we have Katarina DuCut- how are you supposed to pronounce this"? Graves squinted his eyes at the text.

"It's DuCuteau", Katarina explained.

"Right", he took a deep breath without trying to pronounce her name a second time. "Luxanna Crownguard from the Sorcery Club", Ezreal unconsciously winced at the sound of her name. "And Jayce, our very own Class president for the Luminary Club".

Ezreal noticed Graves smiling at Jayce clearly showing everyone that he had a soft spot for the kid.

"Booyah!", Jayce shouted banging his fist on his wooden desk.

"And Ezreal Lightfeather from the Faceless". Ezreal jumped when he heard his name.  _Me? I scored the highest from my Club?_  His mouth was slightly open in surprise.

"Congrats but don't you get too excited now. As I said before, representatives of the Academy can be chosen from second year as well. So you'll have to beat the best second years before we actually send you off to Doran's Academy for the gifted".

 _Doran's Academy? Is that what we're up against?!_  Despite not knowing much about the academic systems of the elite, even a poor boy from Piltover had heard of Doran's Academy.

"Now, first things first, let me announce who the second years you're up against are".

He blindly rummaged through his desk drawers as he complained about not finding the list they gave him.

"Alright. We have Talon DuCut- ah fuck it".

"CUTEAU"!, shouted Katarina clearly pissed.

"Whatever. From the Assassin Club. From the Sorcery Club, Morgana Apteros, from the Council we have Garen Crownguard..? God is everyone here related?", Graves chuckled to himself but no one else seemed amused.

"And Akali Jhomen Tethi, who's up against Lightfeather", Graves searched for Ezreal with his eyes in the classroom but said nothing when he eventually spotted him in the back.

* * *

The Classroom was nearly empty when Ezreal was shoving his things in his backpack. Kayn would probably wait for him outside. A female voice startled him as he put his bag over his shoulder.

"Congratulations. On the the test result". Ezreal could hear a faint smile in her voice as he reluctantly turned to see her.

"Thanks", was all he said before he tried to walk past her. He felt a hand grabbing his wrist.

"Is this how's it going to be from now on?", she asked with a trembling voice. No one was around anymore. Ezreal took a deep breath pressing his lips together but this time he actually looked her in the eyes.

"How's what going to be"? Her fingers were still firmly wrapped around his wrist.

"I'm trying to talk to you. Why are you so cold to me? I thought we were".. Ezreal could see Lux's desperate attempt to find something clever to say. "..Friends".

A faint tremor of amusement was on his lips.

"Last time I checked you had plenty of friends. You don't need me".

"How can you know that?", her blue eyes shot him an angry look that filled his insides with ice. A protest wavered on her lip.

"How can I know what"?

"That I don't need you". He stared at her in silence for a moment, as a hot uprush of hatred and self-loathing came upon him.

"Alright.."  _I'll humour her._  "What could you possibly want from me Luxanna"?

She stared at her shoes never lettling go of Ezreal's wrist.

"Is this because of Sylas?", she asked in a somewhat sharp and incisive voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about".

"Stop playing it stupid! Cause I know you're not!", she raised her voice at him.

Cold sweat began to stain Ezreal's forehead. His mind echoed with words. Words he couldn't choose from. He looked at his wrist. Lux's knuckles were white from the force of her grip. The red haired girl was shivering. Anxiously waiting for his next move.

Ezreal found himself having a hard time not to stare at her lips. It was true. Something was hovering in the air between them. Waiting to be addressed. Something always seemed to be drawing him towards Lux Crownguard. He felt like a moth drawn to a flame. And if he got too close..

"Do you want to be friends with me Lux?", he asked as soon as Luxanna thought he was never going to reply.

The girl seemed to have been caught off guard. Her lips slightly parted in wonder as her eyes widened.

"Y-Yes..", she stammered.

"That's what I thought", Ezreal turned on his heels and left her at once ignoring the girl's protests. It just wasn't enough for him anymore. He had to push her away.

* * *

"Professor Graves has called us to his office", Ezreal winced at thought of inhaling all that cigar smoke in the tiny room again.

"Us? Both of us"?

Kayn nodded in reply.

"Did he say why"?

"We'll find out soon enough", Kayn said as he knocked on Graves' door.

The older man was on the phone when they came in, so he simply gestured them to sit down as he was hanging up.

"So.. You're wondering why you're here. Probably", Graves said sarcastically.

The boys nodded.

"I need a favor".

"What could you possibly need from us Professor? We've created more trouble for you than actually helping you so far", Kayn said recalling the hospital incident.

"That's precisely why. You owe me one. Plus, you're already mixed up into this. And I didn't want to involve more people".

His expression was more serious than usual. Ezreal swallowed hard.

"What's wrong?", he asked.

Professor Graves let out a loud sigh.

"While we were busy fighting off the demon at the Ball, the school's security was being breached".

"WHAT?!", the boys spoke in unison.

"Keep your voices down. This must not leave this room", he scolded them both. "Several artifacts were stolen from the library.. It would have been a lot more if some of the other professors weren't here that night".. He was lost in thought for a moment. "Anyway.. Not a lot of people know how to breach the Library's security".

_You sure about that Professor? Even I broke into the library on my first try. I still got caught though.._

"We have reasons to believe we have a wolf among us".

Ezreal gasped and quickly covered his mouth with his palm. Professor Graves grabbed an orange envelope from his drawer and put it in front of them without opening it.

"One of the students has been spotted having dealings with.. questionable people", he opened the envelope. Ezreal could see that it contained nothing but photos.

He examined the photo in front of him. The quality was exceptionally bad. Two people were talking. Frozen in paper. He noticed a silver blade flashing under city lights. There was no doubt about it.

It was Katarina DuCuteau.


	24. Quest Accepted

"What are we supposed to do with this information?", Ezreal asked defensively.

"Not much really.. I just need you two to keep an eye on her when I can't", Professor Graves puffed out a smoke.

He couldn't believe that their Professor would task them with something that important.  _He really trusts us.._

"I guess you must be sort of close to Katarina, aren't you? You were in the same team in the test as I recall".

"I wouldn't call that "close" Professor", Kayn replied. "The only one who's actually close to her is Luxanna Crownguard".

"I don't need you to do anything special Shieda. Just try to be around her as much as possible. Watch her every move and report back to me. Don't try to fish something out of her. You look like dumbasses already. She'll become suspicious".

 _Ouch. There goes our vote of confidence._  Ezreal raised his eyebrows.

"I see", he said sarcastically.

"Now here's the tricky part. If Katarina DuCuteau beats Talon in the duel, she's going to be sent to Doran's Academy. And I'm not allowed to be there as a mere teacher. Only the Principal escorts the students there".

_Wait a minute.. Is this going where I think it is going?_

"So.. Lightfeather.. If she wins, you have to win as well".  _It is._  Ezreal gulped.

"You want me to beat Akali on a 1v1", Ezreal laughed like he had just heard the most hilarious joke ever. "She's a second year! The best in our Club! She's too OP"!

"That's why I said  _tricky_  part", Graves rolled his eyes, while smoke poured out of his nostrils. "Don't panic just yet. She might as well lose. Talon isn't an easy opponent as far as I'm concerned. Besides.. usually we send three students from the second year and maybe one first year".

"Is this supposed to be the good news? You're basically saying we stand no chance!", Ezreal gritted his teeth.

"If she wins you'll be there with her in Doran's Academy. If she doesn't, Shieda will watch over her here. That's why I needed you both. It's the perfect plan really", Graves said in a husky voice clearly boasting. "You just stay close. That's all I'm asking".

* * *

"You need to make up with Lux asap", Kayn hit him on the side with his elbow as they were returning to their room.

"Woah. Where is this coming from?", Ezreal was taken aback by his friend's seemingly odd request. "I don't think that my love life is any of your business".  _Or the lack of it anyway._

"You heard the man. We gotta stick close to Katarina. And we can't do that when she's with Luxanna 24/7. You HAVE TO make up with her", Kayn spoke as if he was issuing an order. He was probably right but his pride was speaking louder than his logic.

"I'm not even on speaking terms with Lux anymore dude", he answered defeated.

"Forget about your bloody feelings and listen to what the man said!", Kayn replied angrily. Ezreal heard him raise his voice out of the blue. "This.. This is greater than you! Greater than me.. Greater than the both of us! Someone stole WEAPONS Ezreal. ACTUAL WEAPONS! People could die. Get this into your thick skull".

He heard his friend whisper something under his breath before he turned to him and said "And Katarina may have helped them do so"!

Ezreal sighed. There was no point in arguing over this. He knew that his roommate was right.

"Get your shit together and go make up with Lux. I don't care if you'll have to get down on your knees to do so or even fake it. But Graves asked us for something and we'd better do a bang-up job".

The rest of the walk was very silent. The ringing in Ezreal's ears was becoming gradually louder.

* * *

"I would like to thank everyone for supporting me in this long, tiresome journey. Even if some of you may not feel the same, I consider all of you my friends", President Jayce raised his hands up in the air while he was addressing their whole class. Drama may as well have been his middle name.

"I promise to do my best to represent both our school and the Luminary Club in Doran's Academy", he gave them a cocky smile.

Ezreal could have sworn he heard some girls swoon.  _I mean, sure he's goodlooking alright... But give me a break_.

"Are you so sure you'll even get to go there wonder boy?", Katarina smirked as she broke the silence. She was leaning back on her chair with her arms folded in front of her. An air of confidence was oozing from her. She flicked her bangs away from her face, revealing the terrible scar across her eye. That only made her seem even more threatening.

"Ahh.. Katarina DuCuteau..", Jayce looked down with a smug smile on his face. "Have some faith in your President now, will you? I promise I won't disappoint my voters".

"Who said I voted for you?", Katarina almost interrupted him. A gasp spread among the rest of the students. "Tsk".. She slowly stood up and walked out of the classroom as she twirled her knife around her thump.

 _Now's my chance,_  Ezreal thought and followed the pink haired girl.

"Kat-"

"Oh.. Whattaya know.. It's the loverboy. Again", Katarina rolled her eyes at him as she leaned against the hallway wall.

"Why do you hate Jayce so much?", Ezreal asked unsure of what he was supposed to say to intrigue her.

She was eerily quiet, examining his features. Ezreal believed that she was silently judging everything about him. She scratched her chin with the tip of her blade, as if she was itching to slit some throats.

"That's none of your damn business, kid".

 _Kid?! We're the same age!_  Ezreal cleared his throat.

"I just want him out of my way when I get to Doran's Academy. He'll just ruin my trip".  _Without a doubt huh? I wish I was that confident.._  He shook his head.

"What if I could help you get rid of him?", he proposed. A cheeky smile cpept in his lips.

Katarina DuCuteau raised an eyebrow suggesting that she didn't believe a single word that had come out of his mouth.

"And how exactly are you planning to do that?", she huffed amused.

He leaned towards her ear ignoring the large knife tucked in her fist.

"Shh... It's a secret". He gave her a sly wink before he disappeared in the vast hallway.

* * *

The Luminary Club had a way bigger classroom than the Battle Club. Ezreal stared at the maps on every wall. Boards with pawns on them to discuss strategies were everywhere around the room. Spotting Garen Crownguard wasn't that difficult. He was in a giant suit of armor as he weilded a huge sword fighting a manequin. Ezreal gulped in fear.  _Is it really okay if I do this?_

Ezreal pointed his gauntlet towards the manequin and fired a mystic shot causing its head to instantly explode. Garen let his sword fall and turned to face him.

"Lightfeather. Long time no see", the boy said as we wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead. Ezreal awkardly waved his hand at him as he stepped closer.

"Nice room you have there. I haven't been here before. Seems like the entire school budget goes into your maps and compasses". Garen laughed still panting from his training.

"I'm guessing you don't have those in the Battle Club"?

"True explorers follow the compass in their heart", Ezreal said flicking his hair dramatically. Garen rolled his eyes still grinning.

"You're a smooth talker. No wonder Luxanna can't shut up about you". Ezreal's smile faded as he felt a sting in his heart but he quickly recovered.

"Soo.. You owe me a favor as far as I remember".

He saw Garen raise his eyebrows in confusion.

"For.. uhm.. saving your sister that one time and all?", Ezreal smiled showing his teeth, hoping he'd remember their talk in the infirmary:

 _"I just came here to say..", he stopped talking for a moment and sighed. "I'm in your debt Lightfeather"._  The memory popped out from the back of his head.

Garen simply sighed as he lifted his sword and started to strike the dummy again.

"I want you to beat Jayce". Garen had stopped again. He was now standing putting his weight on his blade.

"He uses hextech you know. He can always attack me from a distance. I can't. I don't think I have the advantage over him. But why are you asking me this anyway"?

"I'm not", Ezreal smiled maliciously. "Katarina is".

"What?", the tall boy asked clearly at a loss.

"You see.. Katarina likes you". He could see Garen's eyes widen. His face betrayed his doubts on the matter but he chose not to voice any of it.

"She wants to confess to you", Ezreal stepped closer to Garen and patted him on his shoulder with more force than he expected.  _Ouch. What is this armor made of?_  He opened his mouth in pain but stayed silent. Garen wasn't even looking at him.

"And what does that have to with Jayce?", Garen asked clearly not buying any of his shit.

Ezreal put his arm over Garen's shoulders.

"Don't you see she wants to confess to you in Doran's Academy? Away from it all.. It will be just the two of you.. It's the perfect chance for her really. And I can't bare to see my friend, Katarina, suffering from love all this time".. Ezreal said dramatically but he smiled mischievously the second Garen turned his head away from him.

"Sh-She loves me? She said that"?

Ezreal nodded in all seriousness.  _Take five everyone.. I got this.._

"Just win my friend. And a pretty girl's heart awaits", Ezreal waved a goodbye over his shoulder as he walked away.  _Now this should give him enough of a motivation._


	25. Bleed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It took a bit longer to upload because I'd been away for a few days but here you go!

His palm was already sweaty inside the gauntlet. He couldn't stop himself from tapping his foot on the floor rhythmically. Today was the day he would finally face Akali Jhomen Tethi. And for the first time, he felt that he actually needed a plan in order to beat her. Thankfully, he already had something in mind..

He knew Akali's fighting style. They were in the same club. He'd watched her practice for an entire semester. He knew all her moves. It couldn't possibly be that tricky.. right?

He sat on the bleachers between Zoe and his roommate. The stadium had began to fill with people.

"Come on Ezzy, you got this", said Zoe trying to be encouraging.

"Thanks", the former thief smiled shyly, doubting that.

Since this was an event that took place after school, nobody was in their school uniforms. Ezreal was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a beige shirt and his favourite brown jacket, along with his lucky blue scarf. His old goggles, a golden crown shimering on the top of his head. He finally felt like himself.

He spotted Lux sitting across him on the other side of the stadium next to her pink haired friend. She was wearing a silver body armor and long boots. Her red hair, long and untamed with nothing but a silver headband as a jewel. He could see the girl clutching her baton in her fingers revealing her nervousness. He felt comfort knowing that he wasn't the only one with this state of mind.

His stomach sank when Sylas walzed in and perched himself right next to the light mage. He averted his eyes to the center of the stadium where Tianna Crownguard had began to address the crowd. The doors of the stadium had just been shut by security.  _Too many people here.. Way too many.._

"Good evening! And welcome to the Annual Durrandal Academy Duels!", Principal Crownguard said with enthusiasm. "This year we have so many new talents we are proud to call our students. And what's more, these particular students are going to represent this very foundation against Doran's Academy for the gifted", she paused. "Unfortunately, there can only be four representatives. One for each club. I wish the best of luck to every single one of you! Thank you. I'm confident that none of you will disappoint us", Tianna Crownguard bowed to the audience that applauded her vigorously.

Ezreal stood up and headed backstage. They were bound to call his name soon enough.

An old man with ridiculously long white hair and beard waved at him. He was wearing a blue silky cloak. If he was frank, he'd say that he looked like he belonged to another era. Ezreal could only approach the quirky geezer with caution. Or at least that's what he thought he was doing, as he stumbled on a few stray black wires and lost his balance. The geezer caught him mid air.

"I knew you'd do that", the old man flashed his teeth at the boy revealing a golden tooth or two. Ezreal half laughed without a clue as to what whitebeard meant by that.

"Sure thing, Gandalf".

Professor Graves came and grabbed him from his arm.

"Battle Club is up first", he said seriously, dragging a helpless Ezreal along with him.

"Who was that guy"?

"He's the chronokeeper. He's here to revive you if you die".

"WHAT?!", Ezreal stopped following Graves at once. "I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS"!

Graves sighed in frustration.

"How are you supposed to go all out with your powers if you're holding back, boy? This is standard duel procedure. No one's ever actually died", he paused. "I think".

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!", Ezreal replied sarcastically.

He was brought to a room with the other candidates. Besides Talon and Katarina everyone looked nervous as hell.  _Confidence must run in the family.. Or should I say insensitivity._

Funnily enough, Jayce was the first and only one to acknowledge his presence.

"Lightfeather! I hear you're up first! Good luck man!", Jayce patted him on his shoulder brutally. The dark haired boy raised his fist towards him.

"Pound it!", he shouted and Ezreal followed his order hesitantly.

"Yay", he said mimicking his tone as his fist touched Jayce's.

Akali was sitting in a corner sharpening her various knives. Ezreal gulped knowing that they were meant to pierce his own flesh. She was wearing a white crop-top, short shorts and a blue puffy jacket. He could see a dragon tattoo wrapped around her torso. On her face, a black surgical mask with white teeth drawn on it gave her a unique and menacing look.

"Battle Club with me!", a woman holding a binder shouted. The two Faceless members looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment that Ezreal could've sworn lasted forever.

The chronokeeper greeted the both of them with a crooked smile. The students exchanged a quizzical look before they walked closer to him.

"Don't be such pussies. Old Zilean here might be offended", Graves growled urging them to come forward.

Zilean touched them both on their chests and closed his eyes for a moment. Ezreal felt an intense burn in his heart before Zilean opened his eyes and gave them a gentle smile. He later found out that he had placed a protective rune inside them.

"Alright", Graves scratched the back of his neck. "Now you may kill each other".

* * *

The light from the projector was too bright for his eyes. It took a few moments for him to get used to it. His golden curls fell a few inches above his shoulders. Across him, Akali's flaming eyes were staring at his soul.

He didn't even realize the fight had started when the girl jumped in the air and grazed his arm with a kunai.  _Damn it._

He managed to arcane shift just in time to evade the full blow. The metalic scent of his own blood reached his nose making him wince.

He fired a mystic shot but the girl dodged it with ease.  _This is bad._  He was standing in the middle of the stage firing shots all around him but she was too fast. The hits just wouldn't connect.

A flurry of kunais was coming towards the boy at great speed. He dropped to the ground and fired his gauntlet.  _Gotcha._

"You know, we've never talked, but you seem really annoying", the girl said.

"Sick burn... probably? Wasn't listening", Ezreal said pointing to his ear.

"Tsk".. She said as she dashed behind his back and cut him deep on his waist with her handheld sickle. Ezreal felt his legs abandon him as he dropped to his knees, feeling hazy for a split second. His jacket had been torn. He looked at Akali through his bangs.

She threw a graffiti paint can on the floor, creating a thick cloud of smoke around them.

"Let's make this quick", he heard a female voice say behind the artificial black fog. J _ust what I was waiting for.._  Ezreal smirked and put his goggles on as soon as the can hit the floor.

He arcane shifted behind a baffled Akali while he fired multiple mystic shots directly at her. She was still wielding her golden kama as her limp body hit the floor. Her jacket was full of burned holes from his magic.

Ezreal stood above his fellow Battle Club member unsure of what he was supposed to do while she remained perfectly still. His heart was racing.

A few seconds later she stood up without a hint of grace in her movement but seemingly unscathed. As if she had never been hit. He heard cheers from the brainless crowd.

Ezreal helped the girl up.

"Tryhard", she said as they shook hands.

"It's your fault for making me put my goggles on", he laughed ignoring the burn on his waist. "They're decorative, you know".

The boy couldn't see her lips behind her mask but her eyes betrayed her smile anyway.

* * *

"Uhm.. bro?", Ezreal asked lying on his stomach while a nurse was healing the wound on his lower waist.

"Hmm?", Kayn replied without taking his eyes of his magazine.

"You okay?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking this question? Or wait.. do you want me to hold your hand?", the dark haired boy asked mockingly. "Haven't I babysat you enough already"? The blond boy rolled his eyes.

"You're reading a girly mag", Ezreal raised an eyebrow. Kayn was way too immersed in his studies. Seeing the all dressed in black Kayn reading something with a way too colourful cover was at least.. strange to him.

"It's not a girly mag you uncultured swine. It's a comic book. Zoe gave it to me. We have a bet", he responded calmly.

"Huh?", Ezreal furrowed his brow in confusion. "What sort of bet"?

"She claims guys can be into this too, despite it being too girly. I just had to see for myself. You know, be objective and such".

"What's it called then?", Ezreal asked.

"Something-something-Star Guardians. I think", he said biting the inside of his cheek.

"I've heard of it. Isn't this the one with the all-magical girl squad"?

Kayn huffed a laugh.

"Not anymore. They've brought in a guy too. And Zoe can't shut up about how dreamy he is. So far he seems pretty useless. He has angel wings for fuck's sake. I just don't see what she sees in this guy".

"Let me see". Kayn raised his comic book to show him the picture of a blond, slim boy with blue eyes. "He's average at best", deduced Ezreal.

At this point, the nurse had walked out probably to fetch some more medicine or something.

"My point exactly! He basically only became a Star Guardian to plow this girl", he skimmed through the pages of his book. He was pointing towards a girl with bright pink hair with his index finger.

"Well, at least she's cute. But I would never become something as lame as a "Star Guardian" just to plow some girl", Ezreal declared proudly.

Kayn laughed hysterically.

"Yeah right!", he managed to say in between laughs. "As if you wouldn't join the Star Guardians to plow Lux if she was the girl".

Ezreal pouted his lips. He felt his temperature rise and he hoped he wouldn't get red in the face.

"I wouldn't join a girl team just to plow Lux"!

"But you WOULD plow her", Kayn smirked maliciously.

"Nobody is plowing anybody!", the blond boy exclaimed furiously. "Enough with the plowing"!

"Kayn couldn't restrain his laughter as he raised his arms in surrender. "Whatever big boy. Just get this over with or we'll miss the other fights".


	26. Leap of Faith

"And now.. It's time for the Battle of the assassins!", Tianna Crownguard announced with fervor to hype up the audience. Katarina and Talon DuCuteau dragged their feet to the center of the stage. Katarina was holding her daggers as if they were merely toys hanging on her sides. A natural extention of her arms.

Ezreal was sitting next to Akali Jhomen Tethi and the other candidates who were still waiting for their chance to fight.

"Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me", he heard a manly voice say and turned to see Garen Crownguard walking through the others to get closer to him. His eyes shined with recognition when he saw the Faceless boy.

"Lightfeather. You have a moment"? Ezreal nodded and followed Garen who was waving at him.

"What is it?", the blond haired asked once they got safely away from the others. Garen was shifting his weight from one foot to the other and scratching his chin. Needless to say, he was a nervous wreck.

"I can't do it. I can't beat Jayce".

"WHAT?!", Ezreal asked and grabbed Garen by his neck. "I thought we had a deal"!

Meanwhile, the sound of blades clashing into blades along with a few grunts reached his ears. Garen pushed him away effortlessly.

"Look, I appreciate the fact that you told me how in love Katarina is with me.. I mean it's only natural.. That was kind of inevitable.." Ezreal rolled his eyes so hard he thought they would stick to the back of his skull. "But that still doesn't change the fact that I don't like you and also that I can't beat Jayce".

"You don't like me? I thought we were best buds by now", Ezreal whined clutching his chest in shock.

"Of all the things I just said, THAT is what you choose to focus on?", replied a frustrated Garen.

He heard the crowd cheer as the sound of metal on metal became even more audible.  _I can't let this plan backfire on me. If Katarina sees that Jayce is disqualified thanks to me I'll earn her trust for sure. She knows I'm up to something already. I can't let any other senario happen._  Ezreal sighed.

"What will it take?", the boy asked dropping his audacious persona in its entirety. Garen remained silent with a baffled look engraved on his face.

"What will it take for you to beat him?", Ezreal asked decisively.

"I.. uh.. I need a ranged attack", Garen replied somewhat taken aback by Ezreal's sudden change in demeanor.

"I'll handle this", the boy left without giving him a second look.

* * *

Zoe was sitting in the audience next to his roommate completely immersed in the fight in front of her.  _They're going toe to toe,_  Ezreal thought sneaking a peak at the fight.  _Sibling rivalry,_  he scoffed.

He took a seat next to the girl with the floating hair. The people sitting behind her couldn't see a damn thing because of this but she paid them no attention whatsoever.

"Zoe. Didn't you say you were a goddess or something?", Ezreal asked her but the girl wouldn't take her eyes off the match.

"Ofcourse I am silly. Well, not exactly. I'm just the aspect of twilight. There are many aspects you know", she giggled.

"Listen. I have a friend who needs your help". Zoe locked eyes with Ezreal.

"Oh no. No. No. Aspects aren't meant to interfere with petty human stuff. And I certainly can't create a rigged match to help your friend". She had seen right through him.

"Come on Zoe please. There has to be something we can do. My friend needs a ranged attack. Please. Do something", Ezreal pleaded.

"Ughh.. fine.. there might be a loophole. But I can't help. You need another aspect for that".

"How am I supposed to find another aspect within the next five minutes?", Ezreal asked angrily.

"What do you do so that Gods can hear you stupid?", the girl asked raising an eyebrow. Ezreal remained tight-lipped and confused as hell.

"You pray. Duh", Zoe said as if she just uttered the most logical response in existence. "Tell your friend to pray for his victory. If an aspect deems him worthy, he'll get his ranged attack for sure", Zoe said biting her lower lip.

_A prayer. Yeah. That's a.. questionable idea. But damn I'm on my last leg here if iI end up in Katarina's black list. It's all I've got._

He heard the crowd gasp in unison. He looked at the stage. Talon had vanished. Katarina stood in the middle of the stage. Her eyes alert. Waiting for her brother's attack from every possible corner. Her daggers were sharpened and ready. She spat out a few drops of blood before she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her pink hair were covering half of her face. She breathed out to get her bangs out of her eyes.

A swarm of blades was spinning around her in a circle. A hooded figure appeared virtually out of nowhere facing her head on. Katarina jumped into thin air. Throwing her daggers. She managed to stab him on his thigh. The stage was tinted with his blood.

"I didn't expect you to choke brother", she scoffed smiling, yanking her knife. His blood was dripping from the tip of her blade. She must have hit an artery because by now his blood was everywhere and the boy was white as a sheet. His leg was rooted to the floor. He couldn't make a move.

She walked slowly behind Talon DuCuteau. She lifted his chin gently before she slit her own brother's throat.

"Only fools hesitate", she whispered under her breath so only Talon could hear her.

_Fuck me. I can't afford to make an enemy out of Katarina DuCuteau._

* * *

Garen was ready to go up on stage when Ezreal went to find him.

"Ezreal", he growled.

It was safe to say that he seemed impatient as Ezreal strolled towards him unbothered by Garen's attitude. The boy stood tall in his shining armor glaring at him. The air began to fill with tension.

"I may or may not have found a solution to your problem", Ezreal said rubbing his palms together.

"What's that supposed to mean?", he replied raising an eyebrow. Ezreal simply gave him an awkward smile.

"How do you feel about prayers"?

Garen's face was a purely blank canvas. With zero emotion on it whatsoever.

"THAT'S your solution? The last resort? Praying"?

"Uhm.. Yeah, that sounded so much better in my head for some reason", Ezreal said mostly to himself as he snapped his fingers.

"I can't believe I actually trusted you. You no-good Piltover peasant". Ezreal covered his mouth with his hand.

"You did nooot.. That actually broke my heart", he replied sarcastically. "And here I thought you actually had a plan you fuckin' moron", cursed Garen kicking his leg to a wall.

"Listen. Listen. I got a tip from an aspect".

Garen stared in confusion. "You're cozying up to aspects now? You're full of surprises".

"Thanks for the copliment", Ezreal smiled brightly.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment", Garen Crownguard scoffed.

"Whatever. Just hear me out. If you pray for your victory and an aspect deems you worthy, you're gonna get your ranged attack apparently".

"Please welcome our candidates of the Luminary Club!", Principal Crownguard's excited voice interrupted their conversation as she called Garen and Jayce on stage.

"Stop wasting my time. I've had enough of you", the boy shoved Ezreal with his shoulder as he walked right past him.

_I'm screwed aren't I?_

* * *

Ezreal was watching nervously as Garen and Jayce were walking up on stage.  _Please Gods don't let Katarina DuCuteau kill me,_  he prayed silently.

He looked around to see many of his classmates observing the two of them come together. Brand and Neeko were there along with a Lux Crownguard who was biting her fingernails. He only realised that his eyes were fixed on her when the boy with the long, dark hair cut through his thoughts.

"See anything you like, Faceless boy?", Sylas asked in an interrogating tone.

"I'm just waiting for the fight to start. Got a problem with that"?  _Shithead._

"With that.. no. I have no problem", Sylas approached him with what could only be seen as hostile intent. "But if I catch you gawking at my girl again, I AM going have a problem", he said while he grabbed Ezreal by his vest.

"Woah..", the blond boy said taking a few steps back. "I think there's a misunderstanding Sylas", Ezreal sniggered. "All I'm doing is watching a fight. So you can take all of your little insecurities and piss off".

"Tsk", Sylas clicked his tongue. "You're not fooling anyone", he said as he walked away.

Ezreal kept his eyes focused on the ensuing battle. He couldn't let Sylas get to him. Not now.  _Come on Garen. You precious beefcake. Kick this guy's ass._

But the battle was clearly one sided. Jayce held his mercury canon and kept shooting Garen from a distance. The fight had began several minutes ago and Garen hadn't managed to land a single blow on the first year. All he did was block a few of the attacks with his huge sword while his armor absorbed the rest of them.

It was a clear victory for Jayce. He was always one step ahead of Garen. Remaining as far from him as possible while shouting at a crowd who was going nuts over him.

Garen was bleeding. Even his armor couldn't help reduce the strength of Jayce's hextech technology at this point. He wasn't a child prodigy for nothing. And he was having fun with it. Bowing theatrically to the audience and giving cheeky smiles away.

Garen had fallen to his knees by now. He held his sword tightly with both hands, with its tip touching the ground.

"Are you not entertained?", Jayce yelled at the crowd then laughed. "Ahh I always wanted to say that", he said holding his weapon in the air.

Not a second later, a sword came upon him soaring through the sky. It seemed to be engulfed in flames. The divine judgement had been brought to him. Jayce's lifeless body was lying on the floor. Burned to a crisp. The sword was now nowhere to be found.

Ezreal felt as if his eyes were wide open.  _Did he just? Is this..? An aspect?_

Garen used his own sword as a crutch to get up. The silence in the stadium was heavy. A few moments later Jayce stood up shaking his head. Unharmed. He approached Garen and shook his hand. Ezreal saw their lips moving but he couldn't hear what was said.

When Garen left the stage he approached Ezreal and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I can't believe it actually worked", he said laughing.

"You did it? You prayed?!", Ezreal asked with anticipation.

"Yeah.. And the aspect answered to me".

Garen turned to leave when the boy called out his name.

"Just a quick question.. What did you pray for?", Ezreal asked out of pure curiosity. He could see Garen's faint smile as he talked.

"For justice".


	27. Spellthief

"Today's final battle is here, ladies and gentlemen! The battle to decide who will represent the Sorcery Club against Doran's Academy for the gifted! Two very powerful mages will compete for this spot! Morgana Apteros and Luxanna Crownguard!", the woman with the blond hair announced as the girls went up on stage.

While Lux's entire body was almost fully covered in armor Morgana was simply wearing a long, purple dress.  _Not the best attire for a fight,_  Ezreal thought. Morgana smiled at the audience and took a bow, slightly lifting her dress and Luxanna followed her lead, only with less grace.

A look of defeat was already in Lux's face despite the fact that the battle hadn't even started. The girls took their place on opposite sides of the stage while Principal Crownguard wished them both luck.

Ezreal saw Lux immediately casting a binding spell. Morgana didn't even try to dodge it as she snapped her fingers creating a nearly trasparent, purple shield around her entire body. The light had reached her shield but it was completely absorbed by it.

Lux grunted and gritted her teeth as a circle of light was heading towards Morgana Apteros from her staff.

The girl with the dark hair laughed mockingly.

"Is that all you got from me spellthief?", she shouted so the audience could hear her loud and clear.

She unleashed a dark bind that Luxanna managed to avoid by tumbling on the floor at the last second. The red haired girl seemed disoriented as the ground around her had become engulfed in purple flames. She instantly threw her baton away covering herself in a feint light before it returned to her hands where it always belonged.

Another light bind was cast and Morgana's shield was activated just in time to protect her.

"Armor is for those who are afraid of death. And that's a whole lot of armor spellthief", she said. "Remain!", she screamed as a dark bind landed on Lux holding her in place. Meanwhile, the tormented soil was weakening Luxanna as Morgana Apteros' darkness consumed her light.

The light mage shielded herself once again in an effort to reduce the damage she was taking.

"What do you know?", Morgana sniggered. "There's darkness in everyone. Even you. Lady Crownguard", she spatted out her last name as if it was a curse.

But the girl wouldn't give in to her opponent's remarks as she continued to shoot bolts of light against her.

Morgana closed her eyes blinded by her luminosity. Lux saw this as an opening. She was about to shoot her with her final spark when she felt shackles closing in around her wrists forcing her to drop her staff to the ground. The light mage tried to run away from her but Morgana was moving closer to her leaving her no room to escape from her chains' grasp.

"Look what you made me do spellthief!", she shouted in rage. The shackles started to feel tighter and tighter around her arms. She had to do something fast. Before she was unable to move entirely.

She closed her eyes for a moment and her baton started to levitate in front of her. It was being lifted higher and higher above Morgana's head as Lux desperately focused all of her mana in this act.

Ezreal gasped. He hadn't seen that before. His eyes were focused solely on the light mage's efforts. He bit his knuckles nervously. He hadn't realized how bad he was rooting for her up until this point.

Lux's baton had began to tremble and shake over their heads. Blinding rays of light filled the stage in the form of a circle. The protective rune barrier around the stage had blocked it from spreading towards the audience. Ezreal hadn't even noticed it before that.

Morgana tried to shield herself but her shield was too weak to absorb this attack as she took the full impact of it.

"So.. this.. is how it feels".. Morgana whispered as her body collapsed on the ground. Moments later the dark mage was begrudgingly shaking hands with Luxanna.

Tianna Crownguard called the names of the four finalists and Ezreal made his way up on stage to be congratulated with the others. He didn't listen to a word of Tianna Crownguard's speech. His mind was absent as he looked at a frowned Lux. She won..  _So why does she look so sad?_

He saw the girl flee from the stadium as soon as they were let go by the Principal.

* * *

He found her sitting in the pavilion. Just as he expected. The chilly breeze drew goosebumps on his skin but he approached the red haired girl with confidence. This could be the perfect chance for him to make up with Lux in order to stay as close to Katarina DuCuteau as possible.  _This is business,_  he told himself.  _Cool. Cool. Cool._

She hastily wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. It didn't take much to know that Lux was crying. She was still dressed in her shiny armor. She averted her gaze from him and stared at her boots. He stopped walking a few meters away from her.

"Can I.. can I sit here with you?", Ezreal asked hesitantly. The light mage nodded slightly, her eyes still rooted on the ground.

"It's cold.. You should probably get back inside", he proposed only to get a hiss in response along with a taunting laugh.

"Why are you so worried about me all of sudden? Last time we spoke you made it pretty clear that you didn't even wanna be my friend. But perhaps you have a thing for damsels in distress. Is that it?", she asked and turned to face him. Her eyes were still red and welling up in fresh tears but her voice was steady and demanding.

It genuinely broke his heart to see Luxanna in such a state.

Ezreal remained silent for a few seconds unable to find the best words to utter. He didn't even know what he was doing here. Was this really worth it for Professor Graves' mission? Didn't he want to push her away?

"You really don't have a clue, do you"?  _I didn't want to be your friend. I wanted more.. But now.._

Ezreal blinked and leaned back on the bench they shared. His arms both touching the back of his head. He could feel the rays of the sun trying to reach him through the clouds. Ezreal sighed as he sat normally once again.

"I just want to help".  _Yep. That's a diplomatic answer. I like it._

"Who asked for your help?", the girl scoffed. "Stop rushing to my aid all the time. I think you were right. I don't need you".

The knot stuck in his throat suddenly grew bigger. He started to feel a bit nauseous as the butterflies in his stomach were commiting suicide in hordes.

"That's not how I meant it.." Ezreal didn't know what to say. His inner voice sounded way too cocky and mean spirited as his pride was taking a near fatal blow.

"Maybe I shouldn't be here. Where's your boyfriend when you need consolation anyway? Huh? I don't see anyone else here", he asked smuggly. His encounter with Sylas was still fresh in his memory.  _Crap._  He definitely chose the worst one of his inner thoughts. A cold gust of wind pierced him through his torn brown jacket.

"My what?", Luxanna blinked clearly half puzzled and half mad at him.

_I've made this way too personal.. I've fucked up. Where's my discretion?_

He coughed in an effort to buy time and collect his scrumbled thoughts.

"Sylas. He doesn't even let people look at you anymore. You're his and his only apparently", Ezreal was trying to seem serious but he was slowly realizing how jealous and irrational he sounded. But it was too late. The words had already fled his lips.

Luxanna sighed while she rested her chin on her elbows. She mumbled something Ezreal couldn't hear under her breath before she turned to face the blond boy.

"Not that it's any of your business, but as far as I know I'm not dating anyone. Period".

His heart started to race as the butterflies inside him were being regenerated.  _Ah crap. Will this feeling just go away? I'm trying to be a spy behind enemy lines here!_

"But-"

"You're an idiot. And a thief. That's all you are".

_That is low Lux.. Even for you. I trusted you with this and now you want to use it against me?_

"But you know what?", Lux continued to speak, silencing Ezreal's inner monologue. "So am I".

"What do you mean?", his eyebrows were knit together as he looked at her visibly intrigued.

"You heard Morgana. I'm a spellthief", she gave him a defeated smile before refocusing her gaze on her boots.

"What's so wrong with that? You might have copied a spell or two but it's no big deal, right"?

His answer made Lux chuckle. "You really don't know anything about this world".

"Enlighten me then".

"Was that a light pun?", Lux smiled genuinely for the first time. "You might have just  _brightened_  my day a little bit".

"Wow. You really have a terrible sense of humour Lady Crownguard", Ezreal said sarcastically as the girl giggled.

"Hey, who are you calling a lady?", the girl asked rhetorically pretending to look angry. After a while, her face became expressionless once again. "Stealing spells is like stealing the essence of another mage. What makes them who they are. And I.. have nothing original about me.. I'm just a copycat. Everything I know is stolen from Morgana".

"Well.. Speaking as a thief.." Luxanna stared at him aggresively. "A FORMER thief! That's what I meant to say", Ezreal chuckled nervously.

She gave him an approving smile.  _Phew._  "It's just.. I hate the word "steal".. I prefer the word "liberate" or "procure". Yeah, that's more like it", the boy said raising his eyebrows.

"Tomato, tomato", replied Lux.

"It doesn't matter that you took her spells. What matters is that you've used her own weapons against her and you beat her. Be proud of that".

She stared deep into his eyes. Ezreal felt his heart pounding loudly. Their legs were touching all this time and right now he was hyper aware of that simple fact. He could actually feel the heat transferring from her body to his own.  _This is only for the mission. I don't care for Lux anymore. This is only for the mission. She means nothing to me._

"You're so easy to talk to..", her voice was cool and soft. Like water. "Lately, you've told me so many terrible things.. I thought I could be as cold as you are.. and yet for some reason I just can't stay mad at you". Her sapphire eyes shined brightly making him feel warm inside.

"Lux.. I..", Ezreal stroked his golden locks in frustration.

The girl next to him seemed to be intently searching his face for something. Something to help her crack the code in his mind. To help her understand.

He put his hands on her waist, holding her as if she was going to break in any minute. A delicate flower in a field of weeds. He always liked to picture her like that.

Lux was startled but she didn't make a move to break away from his arms. _This is only for the mission. She means nothing to me._

He saw her lips parting in a keen expectancy. Her blue eyes were glued on his own. Her cheeks were rosy. Filled with life.  _She means nothing to me._

He leaned closer to her, eliminating the space between them. Their foreheads touched for a few seconds. He felt an ache in his heart. A new overmastering impulse came upon him. He could feel himself breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry. I can't be your friend anymore". The words burned him as they were hard to say. _She means nothing to me._

He closed his eyes firmly as his lips touched her own. He slowly tilted his head to the side. Her soft lips were hot against his. A burst of electricity rushed throughout his entire body. His hands were traveling from her waist to her face, to the back of her head. He was running his fingers through her hair.  _She means nothing to me._

He felt hypnotised by her smell. By her touch. He could feel her palm on his cheek. He kissed her trying to quench his thirst but it wasn't enough. He wanted her all to himself.  _She means nothing to me._

He was almost breathless but he didn't want to break the kiss.. Not just yet. He gently bit her lower lip and instantly felt her smile against his teeth. His entire body started to burn.  _She means nothing to me._

In the meantime, new dreams had began to take wing in his imagination. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold her hand with their fingers entwined. He wanted to know how it felt to touch every inch of her body.  _She means nothing to me._

He wanted her. In this moment she meant everything to him.


	28. A Twist of Fate

Ezreal was almost at the door when Kayn spoke to him.

"Where are you going fancy pants?", his roommate asked sarcastically.

Ezreal was dressed up in a nice suit. He was doning a white jacket with a pink rose in its pocket. Underneath, he wore a purple vest and shirt, along with a black tie. He even had white gloves on. It was obvious that he had tried to somewhat tame his hair but he had only managed to make them look a little less messier than usual.

"I.. uhm.. I'm going to pick up Lux?", Ezreal smiled awkwardly with his teeth showing.

Kayn immediately stood up from his bed where he was lying and shook Ezreal by his shoulders. Violently.

"What the hell?! When were you going to tell me? Did you make up with her like I said!? What the hell happened"?!

He only stopped shaking him when he was done with his questions. Ezreal felt dizzy. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to collect his thoughts.

"Ouch", was the only thing he said stroking one of his shoulders.

"You have some explaining to do Mr Lightfeather", Kayn said folding his arms as if he was an angry parent. Ezreal unwittingly made a mental image of his friend wearing oven mits.

"Last time I checked you "weren't even on speaking terms" am I right"?

"Well..", Ezreal chuckled slicking his hair back with his fingers.

Kayn blinked. "Spill. Now".

"I did make up with her.. that's for sure", Ezreal said with a cocky smile on his face.

"And?", the dark haired boy asked in anticipation. His dark eyes were wide. The blond boy could have sworn he saw one of them glowing crimson.

"I found her after the duels. She seemed a bit upset. So who would have been a better good samaritan and comfort a crying girl than yours truly?", Ezreal smirked and pointed to his face with both of his thumbs.

Kayn was still blinking so Ezreal sighed and continued to explain.

"Anyway.. we talked some, then I kissed her, then we ate some ice cream, which ofcourse I paid for, then I walked her hom-"

"YOU KISSED HER?! WHY DIDN'T YOU START OFF WITH THAT"?!

"It seemed kind of irrelevant", Ezreal replied indifferently.

"Irrelevant?", Kayn asked accentuating every syllable of the word. "You've been going on and on about this girl ever since we started this goddamn school year and now you're saying that you kissing her is irrelevant"?!

"What's your deal?", Ezreal asked confused.

"Oh no no no no. Hell no. I've been here since season 1 of this shit. I DESERVE to know what happened"!

Ezreal couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. "Alright, alright. Yeah we kissed. I just did it for the mission though".

"Yeah right. Even your ears are grining and now you want to convince me that you did it for the mission. Who are you kidding? You're in love with this girl since Day 1"!

"Anyway", Ezreal's hand was already on the doorknob. "I gotta go pick my girl up from her fancy house. See ya"!

* * *

The Crownguard mansion was located in a clean street full of trees and zero traffic of any kind. Ezreal stood in front of the white gate. The house stood tall and intimidating in the back. He couldn't see it very well from where he was but he could tell that its design was one of an oldschool -maybe haunted- mansion. That part was debatable. But it had a great appeal to him, as he always was fascinated by antiques and old things in general.

Timidly, he pressed a button on the wall.

An unknown voice said "Who is this?", in a demanding manner.

"I'm here to pick up Lux.. I mean Luxanna Crownguard", Ezreal said mostly in the form of a question.

Silence.

"Isn't it a bit early lover boy?", said a female voice. Unmistakably Katarina DuCuteau.

Ezreal turned to see her. She was in black sweat pants and a matching jacket. Her pink her was up in a messy bun. She was holding a leather leash tied to an abnormally big dog. Its eyes were grey and its teeth were showing. Establishing threat towards him. He had forgotten that she actually lived across the street from Lux.

"Katarina", he smiled. "I.. uh.. didn't take you for a dog person". Ezreal scratched the back of his head as drool was pouring out of her dog's mouth.

Katarina scoffed. "I'm full of surprises.. What are you doing here anyway peasant"?

"I'm picking up Lux for the party. Aren't you coming?", Ezreal gestured to her vaguely. "You'll be late. You should get ready".

"Ofcourse I'm coming".

A buzz sounded and the voice spoke once again.

"We will see you now". The gate started to open slowly on its own.

"I'll catch up with you at the party. Tell Luxanna to leave without me okay", her dog started to become anxious as the door was opening.

Ezreal simply nodded and started to walk towards the big house.

A butler was waiting at the heavy wooden door for him. He was wearing a black suit and a bow tie. He looked to be in his early forties. The man gestured at him to follow and so he did. He was only at the hallway yet he couldn't stop being impressed with everything he saw.

A large chandalier was hovering over their heads ornated with beautiful crystals. A fairly big ancient looking vase trembled as he almost tripped on it. Thankfully it didn't fall to the floor.  _Phew. It would take my whole life to pay for this. Probably._

Even the floor was made out of shiny marble. The butler rang a tiny bell in his hand.

"Lady Crownguard the chauffeur is here for you!", his deep voice echoed in the large mansion.  _Chauffeur? Isn't that..? NO._

"I'm n-", Ezreal tried to explain but he was immediately cut off.

"I don't like this chauffeur Sebastian. You should probably get another one. He seems rather.. incompetent to me", Garen Crownguard said from the top of a white staircase. He was also wearing a black suit and tie. It was kind of weird seeing him out of his huge armor. Ezreal had to admit he didn't look that scary anymore. He looked more like an actual boy of seventeen.

 _Great start Ez._  The butler was staring at him as if he reeked. The boy sniffed the collar of his shirt once he wasn't looking. _I smell great! It's passion fruit! Tsk. No taste._

"I'm terribly sorry Lord Crownguard", Sebastian was already shoving Ezreal towards the front door. "I'll fetch another one, more suited to your liking".

"Hey, hey", Ezreal said pushing the butler's hand's away. "I'm not the chauffeur", he explained trying to immitate Sebastian's french accent and he ultimately failed hard as he sounded more like an uneducated cowboy than a riche nouveau.

The butler immediately brought a butter knife to the boy's throat. "Who are you?", he demanded to know.

"I'm Ezreal Lightfeather. Nice to meet you", he extended his hand towards Sebastian ignoring the blunt blade on his windpipe. He heard Garen's laugh as he was walking towards them.

"It's alright Sebastian", he raised a silencing hand as the butler put down his knife defeated. "He's a classmate from the Academy. He's with us".

Ezreal let a breath out in relief.

"I'll take it from here", Garen addressed the butler and the latter took a small bow before he walked away.

"We have a few things to discuss it seems..", Garen said cracking his knuckles. _Oh boy. If this is what I think it is I'm fucked. Not the brother-boyfriend talk! Anything but that!_

"Hey Ezreal", Lux's voice interrupted a frustrated Garen that cursed between his teeth.

Ezreal's mouth was slightly open as the girl walked closer to them. She was wearing a short black dress with minor knitted details on her chest. Her hair fell loose inches above her waist. Her blue eyes invited him in. He couldn't help but reminisce their kiss as she smiled brightly.

"Where is Kat?", she asked her brother.

"I just bumped into her actually", Ezreal replied instead. "She said she'll meet us there".

"Alright then", was all she said.

"Shall we?", Ezreal asked smugly as he raised his arm for Lux to grab. A growl of irritation came from the back but the boy ignored it as he walked side by side with the girl of his dreams.

* * *

The party was being held in a much smaller venue than the one they had the Winter Ball in. The room could probably fit eighty people at best but even so there weren't all that many guests.

The floor was covered with heavy handmade carpets bearing intricate patterns. Most of the walls had paintings on them. Ezreal could recognise some of the works by the painters' signatures.

He was greeted by the school staff. Every teacher was there along with students from the second year. He was delighted to see Professor Zed without his mask. It was indeed a rare occasion. The man was drinking champagne out of a perfectly transparent glass. His white hair made him look somewhat wise and Ezreal always admired that about his Battle Club mentor.

"And then I said: Don't get cocky", a female voice said before she bursted out laughing.

A group of people had gathered around a woman with red hair apparently telling a funny story. Ezreal immediately recognised her as their librarian Miss Fortune. He and some others from his classroom always placed bets on whether she's actually had a boob job or not.  _But I guess some things are always left in mystery._

He felt Lux grab him by the hand breaking his train of thought.

"Don't stare. It's impolite", she smirked and Ezreal immitated her actions as she pulled him towards one of the tables.

Waiters were walking around with silver trays full of glasses in their hands.

"I like your hair like this. It suits you", Ezreal smiled as they sat down.

"Thank you", she said tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "You too.. Look good", she stummered.

"I always do, don't I?", Ezreal replied smugly making her eyes roll.

"Just take the compliment", the girl chuckled. "Kat", she waved her hand at the pink haired girl across them.

Katarina smiled and walked towards their table. The girls had started to chat when Tiana Crownguard raised her glass and called for everyone's attention.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate our chosen representatives. First, I would like to thank all of the Club Professors and the supervisors for the tremendous job they've done this year".

Ezreal remembered every time Professor Graves had come to the classroom just to drink his coffee and read some newspaper.  _Yeah, tremendous job._  Ezreal took a look around.  _Where is he anyway? There are drinks here._

"We have been known as an elitist Academy over the last years. A school for rich people essentially. But. For the first time in a while, we have three representatives from the first year! And these young people have proven how exceptional they are and that their talents transcend age and social status".  _Is this meant for me?_

"As the Durrandal Academy's Principal, for the time being, I wish to congratulate all four of you and hope that you never cease to make us proud".

She raised her glass in the air. "To our students", she said and everyone cheered and clapped before taking a sip of their drinks.

He saw Garen hesitating to come to their table but eventually he came and sat right next to him. In other words, as far from Katarina DuCuteau as possible. He fidgeted with the silverware in front of him for a moment as Ezreal looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I'm going to steal him for a sec", Garen told his sister and grabbed Ezreal by his arm unexpectedly. He had taken him to the men's bathroom. Garen Crownguard checked every door to make sure no one was in there with them.

"What the fuck man?", Ezreal couldn't hold back anymore as he observed the boy's erratic behavior.

"I can't be with Katarina".

"As in.. the same room?", Ezreal asked puzzled.

"Yeah. I've always had a bit of a thing for her and after what you told me. I just.. can't stop thinking about it", Garen was looking at the blond boy through the mirror.

"That's good then!", Ezreal smiled.  _If what I told you was actually true._  "Just be yourself man", the boy punched him lightly on his shoulder.  _Best advice ever.. am I right?_

The music from the room had become louder.

"Are you sure she said she liked me?", Garen asked with furrowed eyebrows. Ezreal gulped.

"100 percent positive".  _Maybe I'm overdoing it._  Garen still looked unconvinced. "1000 percent sure man. She can't shut up about you".  _Okay. NOW I'm overdoing it._

"Alright then, I'll ask her to dance with me. Let's see how it goes", he said as they walked out the door.

Katarina DuCuteau was dancing as if she was alone in her bedroom. Her movements were out of sync with the music and she was headbanging towards every direction while holding Lux by both of her hands.

"Help", Luxanna mouthed to both of them as Katarina was pulling her even harder to dance. The boys looked at eachother puzzled before they shrugged and joined them.

"How much did she drink?", Ezreal whispered in Lux's ear after a while.

"Ehh.. She's probably lost count by now", Luxanna giggled.

Ezreal grabbed her by her hand and twirled her around. They were dancing to some weird disco music. Luxanna could hide neither her smile nor her blush anymore. And he couldn't either. Garen was showing off his moves on the dancefloor. He used his fingers as scissors and hovered them over his eyes as he moonwalked. Katarina was holding her stomach from laughter.

It didn't matter. Because they were having the time of their lives. And it was probably the first time Ezreal didn't feel completely out of place.

* * *

Ezreal sat down on the first chair he found, feeling exhausted. Next to him Katarina DuCuteau was panting hard.

"Aside from being a dog person, I never thought you were much of a dancer either", Ezreal said to her in between breaths.

"A dog person? I wouldn't say that.", Katarina said. Her eyes were half closed.  _She's drunk as fuck._  That was for sure. Ezreal laughed.

He felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. "Are you Mr Lightfeather?", one of the waiters asked him and the boy nodded. "Someone's calling for you".

Ezreal stood up and followed the waiter to a kitchen. He picked up a phone that was placed on the wall.

"Hello?", Ezreal asked confused.

"Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on Katarina DuCuteau?", Professor Graves' voice shouted at him.  _Was it really that bad that she got drunk? That's ridiculous. But wait Graves isn't even here. What is going on?_

"I did! What are you talking about? She's been here with me all night!", Ezreal shouted back.

Silence fell on the line.

"Professor?", Ezreal asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this but..", Professor Graves' voice said. "It's Principal Yuumi. She's been murdered".


	29. Morellonomicon

"Lightfeather? Lightfeather?", Professor Graves repeated himself over the phone.

But the words were stuck in Ezreal's throat. It was one of these rare occasions that he didn't know what to say, how to react. Not even what to think.

"Ezreal?", the Professor asked. His voice was filled with concern.

"What happened?", Ezreal finally asked rubbing his eyes. He was leaning with the top of his head touching the cold wall.

"As you know she was staying at a rehabilitation center.. To recover. And someone attacked her there. There was commotion and the staff found her almost immediately but the perp was gone before they even realized what had actually happened". The disappointment in his voice was obvious.

"How could someone walk in and out of there with no one noticing? Didn't she have some kind of protection?", Ezreal shouted a bit too loud alarming the kitchen staff but he ignored them. After that, they left him alone so as to respect his private call.

"There were.. At the entrance. And they were.. sedated. I don't know how don't ask me the details. The point is, we're dealing with someone exceptionally dangerous", Graves sighed.

"Okay..", said Ezreal trying to collect his thoughts. "What does Katarina have to do with this?", he whispered after he made sure no one was eavesdroping on him.

"One of the guards.. He saw the individual fleeting. Let's just say that his description kind of matched Miss DuCuteau.. He was still dazed and under the influence of whatever they used to take them all down though.. I didn't know what else to think. I'm at a loss here myself I'm not gonna lie".

Ezreal was trying to think as well. But every new idea was even more unlikely than the previous one.

"And you're saying she's at the party.. So it can't have been her".

"Why would she do that? Why would anyone do that? Yuumi was not even Principal anymore", Ezreal said.  _Could it have been a personal grudge? And not an attack against the Academy?_

"They..", Graves sighed again even more heavily than before. "I don't know if I should say that but.. screw it you're in this anyway. They took the book".

"The book? What b-", Ezreal began to say before it dawned on him.

 _The book._  The one blue book that Principal Yuumi was always floating on. He remembered her with it the first time they spoke. After Ezreal's failed attempt to rob the library. Not only had she forgiven him. Principal Yuumi had even given him a place to belong.

"The book. The Morellonomicon. I'm sure you remember it. She carried it everywhere", the teacher explained.

Ezreal nodded even though it was pointless. He couldn't see him anyway.

Silence fell upon them.

"Let's wrap this up. I'm sorry you found out this way Lightfeather. You did good. Don't dwell on this too much", Graves said and hung up the phone abruptly.

_Did I though?_

* * *

The venue was half empty by now. And good thing was no one had asked him where he'd been. The call hadn't taken too long anyway. He was sitting at their table with the rest of them. He didn't want to tell them what had happened. He didn't even know if he was allowed to. It could have been classified information for the time being.

Ezreal decided that they would find out soon enough for themselves anyway. He didn't have to ruin their night as well. He put on his best smile and immersed himself in idle conversation. His only consolation was the fact that Lux would never leave his side.

A few hours later, the Crownguard siblings were picking up their coats as it was their time to leave. Katarina was gripping Garen from his jacket.

"Noo.. Pleasee.. Stay some more", she whined. Her face was red. The alcohol was obviously still in her system.

"Sorry sweety.. You're gonna have to let me go. For now.", Garen booped her nose playing it all smug.  _Unbelievable. Am I that fucking lucky? Did she have a thing for him the whole time?_

"Are you okay?", Luxanna asked taking his hand. They were away from the others.

"I always am. When I'm with you", Ezreal flashed his teeth at her.

Lux scoffed. "It just seemed to me that you have something on your mind. Something that's bothering you maybe?", she said seriously.

"I'm just a little tired from all the dancing", Ezreal reassured her raising his hands in the air, faking a dance move.

Lux giggled. "Are you sure you don't want our driver to get you to the dorms"?

Katarina had sat at a chair pouting her lips. She refused to stand up and follow them.

"I'm sure. I think I'll just stay a little longer. I'll take Katarina home. Can't leave her like this anyway", Ezreal gestured towards the drunk girl.  _Operation stick to Ducuteau activated. STD for short. I should probably think of a better name later.._

"You're prabably right. Please tell me I'm a bad friend for leaving her here", Luxanna chuckled.

"You're not leaving her alone", Ezreal reassured her. "She'll be with me"!

"But what if you do anything... suspicious?", she asked squinting her eyes at him.

"Hmm.. I like it when you get posessive", Ezreal grinned leaning towards her. Garen coughed while he stared at them causing Luxanna to back away from the blond boy.

"Just be careful", she planted an innocent peck on his cheek before she waved a quick goodbye.

* * *

"Come on Miss DuCuteau let's get you home", Ezreal pulled Katarina by her arm while she whimpered.

"Please Ezzyy.. I don't wanna go hoooome", she whined pouting her lips once more.

 _Ezzy? Why do I have to deal with this? I can't get her home like this. Talon could kill me if he sees his sister like this. Hell, she'll even kill me herself tomorrow. Either way I'm a dead man walking._  Ezreal sighed absorbed in his inner monologue.

"I'll take you to a really cool place Kat.. Just follow me", he decided to play along and saw the girl's eyes glistening enthusiastically. She followed him obediently with a bright smile plastered upon her face.

They were walking in silence down an exceptionally dark street.  _Maybe the alcohol in her system is finally starting to wear off_ , hoped Ezreal.

"About the duels..", he began hesitantly.

"What about them"?

"As you can tell I kept my end of the deal, didn't I?", the boy said in a cheeky manner.

"Uhm.. I guess", she said timidly before she continued. "So.. you want something in return?", she asked rasing an eyebrow at him.

"How about us being friends?", he stopped walking and face the girl with the scar upon her eye.

"Aren't we.. already friends?", the girl asked innocently. Her cheeks were still kind of red from all the booze.

 _Katarina DuCuteau just called herself my friend?! Never mind I shouldn't pay attention to anything she says. She's fuckin 'wasted. I actually might prefer her drunk. Yeah.. Maybe I shouldn't sober her up at all,_  said the little devil on his shoulder.

 _But I actually need to stick close to the sober Katarina,_  whispered a little angel in his ear. Gahh..  _Why do I have to have a consciense? Now of all times?!_  Ezreal cursed himself, his face revealing nothing of his inner conflicts to the girl beside him.

"Ofcourse we are Kat!", Ezreal nudged her side with his elbow. "I was just.. uhm.. testing you"!

"Oh", chuckled Katarina. Her laugh was actually cute. He was taken aback by it as it was probably the first time he heard it.

"I never expected to ever see you so.. chill", Ezreal laughed. "I didn't expect you to have a pet either actually".

"I do?", she exclaimed. "Why yes ofcourse I do!", she grinned proudly. A few cars were passing them by now and then, but the road was generally quiet. _How drunk is she?_

"What do you call it?", Ezreal asked in a desperate attempt to actually get closer to her.

"Uhm.. Garen", she said. Her statement sounded more like a question than an actual reply. _It actually suits the dog,_  he recalled its sharp teeth showing in front of the Crownguard mansion.

"Speaking of Garen.. I'm surprised you didn't ask me yet, how I pulled it off though.. The deal I mean", Ezreal wondered mostly to himself.

"Why don't we talk about this all tomorrow, huh? I'm starting to get a headache right now", she growled bringing the not so fond memory of the every day Katarina to his mind.

"Sorry", he said shoving his hands in his pants' pockets. "You really didn't leave Garen in peace today though", Ezreal cackled causing Katarina's snort. "You might want to actually.. have a fling with him or something? I mean you even named a pet after him!", Ezreal asked nervously.

He secretly hoped that she would never have to find out what he said to Garen before the duels. If she already liked him he might have just been safe from her daggers. And Garen's huge ass sword. At least for now.

"I don't know what to say now", the girl giggled. "Who cares if I named my cat Garen? It means nothing. Honestly", she said.  _Cat? What about the huge dog?_

"Let's get in there", Ezreal pointed towards a small diner and Katarina followed suit. Ezreal felt so much better as they sat at a table. It was so warm in there that he felt like he never wanted to get back out there and keep walking in the chilly night.

"What are you having?", a conventionally pretty waitress asked them.

Katarina was still staring at the catalogue and opened up her mouth to speak but Ezreal raised a silencing hand.

"Just coffee. Black", he replied. He had gotten drunk plenty of times himself, so he was proud to have uncovered the best remedies for similar situations. Katarina looked at him angrily for not letting her speak as the girl was leaving their table.

"I always wanted to ask.. how did you get this?", he said pointing towards his own blue eye.

"You mean this?", she pointed to her scar while she let out an awkward laugh. "I.. uh.. fell".

"That's it? I expected a much more.. uhm.. fascinating story", Ezreal raised a doubting eyebrow.

"It's not interesting enough for me to share", the girl said as the waitress was putting two coffee cups on their table. She smiled politely holding her tray.

"You guys are such a cute couple!", she said before they started to protest that this was not the case.

Ezreal and Katarina DuCuteau looked at eachother. The boy could have sworn that he saw a flash in her eyes but it was probably just his imagination. Kat averted her gaze from him almost immediately and started to take a sip from her coffee.  _Awkward._

"As if I would ever be interested in someone like you", Katarina scoffed.

"Hey!", Ezreal protested. "I'll have you know that there are plenty of girls who are completely lovestruck by my witty humour and boyish charm!", he said flexing his biceps.

Katarina huffed and took another sip of her coffee.

"But perhaps you'd like someone like Jayce", Ezreal continued with an interrogating look on his face.

Katarina almost choked on her coffee.

"Jayce? The president? I don't know?", she said looking around the place even though they were the only customers there.

"You like Jayce?!", Ezreal exclaimed. "Then why did you tell me to take him out"?

"You went on a date with Jayce?!", Katarina said with her mouth hanging open.

_What the hell...?_

"I feel like we're not on the same page", he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Drink up", he gestured to the cup in her hands. He noticed another flash of yellow in her eyes.

"I have to go to the bathroom", the girl said and stood up.

 _What is going on?_  Ezreal thought while he was fumbling with a napkin.  _She hates Jayce! And now she's acting like she doesn't have a clue about our deal. She can't be THAT drunk! And what about the dog?_  He felt like his head was about to burst as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.  _Unless.._

The boy stood up and went straight to the girls bathroom.

Katarina seemed to have just finished wiping her hands with a towel in front of the sink.

"I think you have the wrong bathroom", she smiled pointing her finger to a different direction.

"I'm pretty sure I don't", Ezreal walked up to Katarina and stuck her to the wall.

His body was pressing up against hers as he put his entire weight to his hand on the wall just above her shoulder. He had left her no space to pull away.

"I've always wanted to do this", he leaned towards her face to give her a kiss.

_She has to stop me.. She'd never do that to her friend would she?_

He kept leaning towards her lips but Katarina seemed to be frozen. This whole motion felt as if it had lasted forever. Her hazel eyes were wide open.

Ezreal's lips touched hers..

He had bitten her. Blood was coming out of her puffy lips.

"Ow", a strange voice said before she felt something hitting him on his ribbs. He felt like he couldn't breath.

He expected to see her hazel eyes staring coldly but instead yellow eyes had taken their place. A green tale was wrapped tightly around his torso making him suffocate.

"N-N-Neeko?", Ezreal breathed out.


	30. Different Skins

"Alright... you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do missy", the boy with the blonde hair rubbed his forehead as he and the girl whom he previously thought was Katarina DuCuteau sat down on a cold sidewalk.

They sat under a lamp post. Mosquitos and moths along with plenty of other types of bugs Ezreal didn't want to imagine had swarmed around the light way above their heads.

"Me?", Neeko pointed towards herself with her index fingers. "If anything YOU'RE the one who must explain! YOU came on to Neeko mister! Or should I say Katarina! Aren't you dating her best friend?!", Neeko's yellow eyes were wide.

Ezreal took a deep breath trying to keep his cool.

"Why did you take Katarina's place?", he asked calmly looking at her straight in the eyes.

"For fun! Neeko likes fun!", she giggled.  _She definitely doesn't have a grasp of the situation here, does she?_

"Did SHE tell you to do this?", Ezreal shook her shoulders a little more forcefully than he'd like to.

"You're.. scaring me", Neeko said pushing the boy away from her.

Ezreal looked at his hands, surprised at the way he had acted.

"You're right. I'm sorry Neeko", he admitted. "I just need to know", he said sincerely.

"Fine", the girl with the blue hair huffed. "Katarina doesn't like "boring" parties but she thought people would be disappointed in her if she didn't come. I mean who even thinks parties are boring, right?", Neeko asked waiting to be reassured.

Ezreal simply nodded waiting for her to go on.

"Anyway, she asked if I wanted to come in her place. She said there would be cheesebreads at the party! Neeko likes cheesebreads!", she laughed wagging her tail.

Ezreal blinked. "Is that it?", he asked perplexed furrowing his eyebrows.

"Hmm", she nodded happily. "But now that you've figured me out I'm not so sure she'll be very happy about it. She's a scary person, you know", Neeko lowered her gaze to the ground while she hugged her green shoulders.

Neeko has given her the perfect alibi.  _I have to use this somehow._

"What if we keep this-" Ezreal pointed to her and himself "-a secret? Katarina doesn't have to know I found out".

Neeko was looking at him with eyes full of hope before she gave out a bright smile. "Really?", she asked. Ezreal sighed in relief.

"Really. You did a good job tonight. You even had me fooled. Except for all of your swooning over Garen", Ezreal chuckled.

Neeko's lips turned into a sly smile. "You haven't seen Katarina's shoma".

"Her shoma?", echoed the boy.

"Shoma is like the shape of someone's spirit.. Who they are inside", she clutched her fingers over her heart. "And Katarina and Garen's shoma..", she sighed. "Those two are made for each other".

Ezreal bursted out laughing. He just couldn't help himself.

"Aww that's so romantic", he cackled hightening the pitch of his voice. "There's no such thing as soul mates. Don't tell me you believe in Santa Claus as well", he said sarcastically.

Neeko was narrowing her eyes at him before she took over Luxanna's form.

"I love you Ezreal. You're so handsome and strong. I wish I could stay with you forever!", Lux perched her lips as she tried to get closer to his face with her eyes closed.

"Hey, hey, hey! That's not funny! Cut it out!", Ezreal pushed her away from him.

"Soul mates don't sound so crazy now, do they"? Luxanna was staring at him with one eyebrow raised as she folded her arms. A green glow took over her body as Luxanna's red hair swiftly turned blond. A pair of cold blue eyes were glaring at him.

"Oh hi! Didn't see you there! I'm Ezreal! I'm always open to new ideas! MY new ideas!", the new Ezreal boasted. He was wearing his Battle Club uniform.

Meanwhile, the real Ezreal was simply resting his chin on his hand while he tapped his foot on the ground waiting for the show to be over.

"Woah. I'm pretty! For a boy", he smirked straightening his red vest. "Too pretty"..

"What's that supposed to mean?", the boy retorted angrily. "Oh I get it.. You too are one of the victims of my undeniable good looks.. I guess I really am.. inevitable", he blew her a kiss.

"Oh please", Neeko said as she transitioned back to her original self. "You're totally not my type".

"Who's your type then? I'm better than any guy you can mention", he squinted his eyes as if he was offended.

"I don't doubt that but I don't like guys", Neeko giggled.

"That explains it", Ezreal thought out loud. "That's the only way a girl wouldn't fall head over heels for me", he puffed out his chest as he stood up.

"Take a chill pill Casanova.. Poor Luxanna..", Neeko sighed as she followed his lead. They walked side by side till they reached the dorms.

* * *

Kayn was dumbfounded when he heard the news. He scratched his head with his claws as he sat on his bed leaning with his back against the wall.

"She must have killed Yuumi. I mean, what else is there?", Kayn asked while he blinked.

His long dark hair was loose and falling way down on his lower waist. Ezreal couldn't wait to tell his friend what happened so he woke the boy up as soon as he set foot in their tiny room.

"I don't know man", Ezreal said as he sat down on the office chair. "I just had to hear your thoughts on this.. But keep this whole thing between us okay"?

Kayn yawned before he shot the blonde boy with a questioning look.

"What?", Ezreal asked.

"Aren't you.. gonna tell Professor Graves"?

"I have to be sure that Katarina was the culprit. Right now, all the evidence points to her except for the fact that she has an alibi courtesy of Neeko ofcourse".

Silence fell on the room as the two boys wracked their brains, hoping to come up with a plausible explanation. Ezreal finally took of his white jacket and hanged it over the closet door.

"I still think you should tell him", Kayn finally spoke up. "That's why he made us watch over her in the first place, don't think?", he raised an eyebrow.

"I know you're right, but what if we can use this to find out more from Katarina herself"?

"I'm not following", Shieda Kayn replied. "Are you saying you want to interrogate her or something"?

"I'm thinking about going undercover", he boasted. Kayn couldn't help but facepalm. "What? It's a great idea! She doesn't know that we know! We can use this to.. uhm.. monitor her", Ezreal snapped his fingers once he found the word he was looking for.

Kayn wasn't wearing a shirt, as usual, while the rest of his body was covered up with a thick Hello Kitty blanket.

"What's up with Pretty Kitty over there?", Ezreal gestured vaguely towards the oh so colourful blanket.

"First of all, it's called HELLO KITTY", Kayn corrected him. "I didn't have a blanket so Zoe lent it to me", he continued bashfully.

"Seems like you and Zoe have gotten pretty close.. Next thing you know you'll be exchanging PJs", Ezreal smirked raising his eyebrows.

He would have expected him to blush but this was Kayn we were talking about. The fearless, nonchallant, even cold hearted some would argue, Shieda Kayn. And now he was sleeping with a kawaii kitty cat over his chest.

"Since you got with Lux, you just see couples everywhere", he said sarcastically. "I'm nothing like you Romeo. You're bugging me".

"Oh puhh-lease", Ezreal said taking his shoes off. "Just admit it. You kinda like her. You two are spending more time together lately than us two. And we're staying in the same room. That says something".

"Are you blind? Zoe doesn't even qualify as a girl in my registry. She's just a child I constantly have to protect! She's irresponsible and lightheaded and gets on my nerves all the time", he said flailing his arms in frustration.

At this point, Ezreal had changed clothes and crashed on his bed feeling exhausted. He still couldn't hear properly due to the loud music in the party.

"I'm just saying.. nobody told you to "protect" her. She's a goddess after all, she can take care of herself. It's you who feels the need to do so", he said with his eyes closed. If Kayn ever replied to him, Ezreal wouldn't know. He was fast asleep the moment his head touched his soft pillow.


	31. Are you not intrigued?

It was a cloudy day. The blonde boy could feel the chilling gusts of wind biting at his cheeks. Swiftly, he wrapped his scarf more tightly around his neck before he buried his hands deep into his coat pockets.

The two boys were dragging their feet lazily towards their classroom. Ezreal felt incredibly sleepy. He had managed to barely get two hours of sleep after the party. He hadn't had many drinks yet he still felt somewhat dizzy. He wondered how bad Neeko's hangover would be. Kayn seemed to be in a slightly better state but he could still see the hint of a shadow under his eyes.

A few meters ahead of them a fairly short girl with colourful hair was walking alone. That's strange, Ezreal thought. Zoe was always hopping and doing cartwheels on her way to school. The Battle Club representative had wondered where all that energy was coming from and dismissed her as an annoying morning person. However, he felt a lump in his throat as he observed her walking with her head down. Her face seemed to be drained of blood.

He called out her name and waved his hand as the girl looked at them and stopped.

"Oh.. hi Ezreal..", she made an awkward pause before she continued. "Kayn. I.. didn't see you there", she forced a smile.

"Good morning", said Kayn almost inaudibly.

Half of his face was hidden in a ridiculously thick black scarf. His stray strands of hair were constantly wavering in front of his eyes. Ezreal noticed a red glow on one of them but he ignored it as he gave his full attention to Zoe.

"Are you sick?", he asked concerned. "You seem very pale".

"I don't get sick silly, I'm a goddess", she said before a violent cough interrupted her.

The three of them were now marching together. His friend gave him a doubting look.

"Are you sure?", a visibly worried Kayn touched her shoulder with his claws making Zoe flinch and move away from his grasp. His eyes widened and his mouth was agape as he let his arm fall to his side disappointed.

"I'm fine!", Zoe reassured him folding her arms and walking as far from him as possible. "You know what.. I'm really cold I'll just pop in the classroom. Bye", she said as she disappeared inside one of her portals.

Ezreal perched his lips together confused.

"Did I miss something"?

"No. Maybe she's just having a bad day", replied an equally puzzled Kayn.

* * *

A big crowd had gathered at the entrance hall. Ezreal heard an announcement from the speakers calling all students there. The boys looked at eachother knowingly as they gulped. This could only mean one thing.

A few minutes later, the Principal made her appearance. Tianna Crownguard was dressed in all black. As were all the professors and the rest of the staff.

"Dear students", she started in a stern voice. "We regret to inform you that Principal Yuumi passed away last night". The crowd gasped in unison. Ezreal heard whispers everywhere around.

"Be quiet!", growled Professor Graves bringing back the order.

Ezreal scanned the crowd searching for Katarina's face. He spotted her in the back, standing next to Lux. He was looking for a reaction. Something that would betray her if she was the one who'd done it. He'd seen her mercilessly execute her own brother in the duels. He was alright in the end ofcourse but the fact that she hadn't even hesitated for a moment made his blood run cold.

Luxanna had grabbed her friend's hand as she covered her mouth with her palm. Ezreal could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He sighed and made his way towards the girls. Kayn was following suit, clearly not knowing what else he was supposed to do.

Tianna Crownguard was now listing Yuumi's achievements and sacrifices throughout her life. Yuumi had supposedly succumbed to her previous injuries. Apparently, she didn't want to tell the students that her predecessor had been murdered. It would only create more chaos.

Most of the students couldn't help but a shed a tear. But not Katarina DuCuteau. Her eyes were fixed on the Principal. Her face was blank. Her fist clenched. She just kept holding onto Luxanna's hand who was desperately trying to hold back her tears. She only gave up trying when she saw Ezreal in front of her.

She rushed to give him a tight hug letting go of Katarina's hand. Ezreal could feel her entire body shaking as she wrapped her arms around him. He stroked her hair lovingly saying "It's okay". And that was the best he could do.

Kayn was chatting with Kat but he couldn't quite hear what they were saying as Lux's sobbs were gradually getting louder despite the fact that she was trying too hard to control herself.

Eventually, Principal Crownguard announced that classes were cancelled for the day as a means to pay respect to Yuumi's memory. The teachers had to leave to attend her funeral anyway.

Ezreal spotted Neeko raising her hand at him to say hello with a gloom expression on her face but she quickly let it drop when she remembered she wasn't supposed to talk to him so casually. After all, if it weren't for last night's shenanigans they weren't that close. And no one was supposed to know of this. It was Katarina at the party. Not Neeko.

Most of the students had already walked out when Luxanna pulled away from his chest. She quickly wiped her cheeks with her palms before she tried to force a smile as if to reassure him she was okay. She clearly wasn't. And it hurt him so much to see her like that. A frozen fist was wrapped around his heart making him ache more with every beat. He wanted to give her another hug and never let go of her. He wanted her to know that he would always be there for her. But all he did was nod, hoping that his face would convey all of those things he wanted to say. He took her hand leading her out of the school building, along with the others.

* * *

Lux was holding onto him as if he was the only thing that mattered. Katarina left them when Talon approached their group. They simply said they were going home.

"Are you coming?", she asked the red haired mage but the girl simply shook her head negatively as she squeezed Ezreal's hand.

The three of them were now walking towards the dorms without even realizing it. They winced when they reached Kayn and Ezreal's room.

"I.. uh.. I'll go check up on Zoe. She didn't seem very well this morning", Kayn explained before he turned on his heels to leave.

Ezreal and Lux exchanged confused looks. Ezreal simply shrugged and unlocked the door. The blonde boy took a pretty theatric bow as he let Luxanna walk in first. She just gave him a small smile.

The girl's eyes were wide open taking in every part of the room as Ezreal was rushing to pick up clothes from the floor and the desk and shoved them into the closet. Lux hadn't even noticed. She was slowly turning to face him as he was kicking a pair of dirty socks under his roommate's bed. He flashed his teeth awkwardly after he was caught red-handed.

"I really like it", Lux said as she took a seat on his bed. His bedsheets were untidy as well.

"Don't lie to me. I've seen your house", Ezreal chuckled as he made his way to her. Luxanna huffed a laugh.

"That's not.. I appreciate the simplicity", she said honestly as took another look around the room. At this point she had stopped wimpering even though the redness hadn't left her eyes.

Ezreal took it as a chance to scoot closer to her. Their bodies were touching. He could feel the warmth emanating from her.

"Are you okay?", he asked stroking her cheek with his thumb. Lux nodded.

"I.. I thought Principal Yuumi was doing better.. I didn't expect her to..", her voice cracked so she stopped talking.

Ezreal carressed her shoulder as he hugged her.

"You're so calm.. I didn't want to go home just yet.. I feel safe here. With you", she whispered without moving away from him.

Ezreal buried his face in her thick hair breathing in her sweet scent.

"Everything is going to be fine.. I promise", he reassured her.

He felt bad that he couldn't say anything more. But most of all, he felt bad that he couldn't talk to her about Katarina. About Professor Graves. About anything important really.

"All this.. It's not up to you. You need to know that", she lifted her eyes to look into his.

Ezreal averted her gaze. A new sense of guilt had made its way into his heart.

"I know", he lied. "Just know this.. If there's anything -and I mean it- anything you need.. I'll be there".

He felt like their talk had taken a rather serious turn so he continued with a raised hand "Boy scouts' honour".

Luxanna smiled and flicked his forehead with her fingers.

"Hey! What was that for?", he smiled while he was rubbing his head. Lux was laughing as she covered her mouth.

"You ruined the moment", she raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know we were having one"!

Lux sighed. "Men".

"You must have made a lot of guys fall at your feet then", he said sarcastically. "You seem to know them pretty well", he folded his arms as he pretended to be mad at her.

"I've had my fair share of conquests", boasted Lux in an attempt to irk him. It worked. Ezreal's mouth was comically agape.

"Get out of my property", he stood up and pointed towards the door with his index finger.

"It's not even YOUR property", scoffed Luxanna.

"Now you've shown your true colours, LADY Lux", he squinted his eyes.

"Consider yourself lucky I even noticed you", she provoked him as she moved dangerously close to his face.

Their lips were almost touching. Ezreal could feel her warm breath on his skin.

"Shut up", he smiled before he closed the space between them. He kissed her so hungrily that he hadn't realized he was now on top of her on his bed. He felt her tongue slipping timidly into his mouth.  _Bold move._  He smiled then mimicked her actions.

"Hey Ez can I talk to y- Oh", Zoe's high-pitched voice interrupted them.

Ezreal was quick to get up from the bed as if nothing was happening a few seconds ago. Lux also sat back on the bed and tried to pull her skirt down.

"I.. uhm.. sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you!", the girl apologized while her cheeks were getting more pink by the minute.

"It's okay", coughed Ezreal. Lux simply waved hello. "Hey why aren't you in your room? Kayn's looking for you", he scolded her.

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk about..", she replied playing with her hair while she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "But it's okay, we'll talk some other time"! She opened a portal to leave but Ezreal stopped her.

"Why? What happened? Did you guys fight?", he asked. Lux rolled her eyes.

"Come on Ezreal. You can't be that dense. She's clearly in love with Kayn", Lux said as if she was stating the obvious.

"WHAT?!", both Zoe and Ezreal exclaimed simualtaneously.

"Oh no no no no no! You've got it all wrong Luxanna", Zoe almost yelled but her blushing was saying otherwise. "It's something else.. I'll talk later", she popped into a portal before either of them had the chance to stop her this time around.

Ezreal glared at her.

"What?", she raised her eyebrows.

"How do you know she's in love with him"?

"Call it girls' intuition. But I mean.. it's kinda obvious. The moment I realized she wasn't in love with you, everything clicked", she explained proudly.

"So...", Ezreal gave her a cocky smile. "You were jealous of Zoe"?

"Ofcourse I wasn't", Lux lied through her teeth intriguing him even more. She hesitated a bit before she said "Does she.. uhm.. come here unannounced like this.. often"?

Ezreal moved and stayed on top of her on his bed once more.

"You're a terrible liar", he whispered in her ear before he started to plant warm kisses on her neck.


	32. Harsh Lesson

A couple of days had passed since Principal Yuumi's funeral. Things at the Academy had seemingly started to fall back into place. The atmosphere felt somewhat heavy and tense but still. Everyone seemed to be moving on.

"Good morning", Luxanna smiled shyly when they met in front of their classroom.

"Hello gorgeous", he gave her a crooked smile.

"Ugh.. I think I'm going to be sick", Katarina said and walked between them to get into the room. Ezreal hadn't even noticed she was there at first.  _You gotta watch her. Focus Ezreal! Focus!_  They both giggled. Ezreal took her hand a planted a small kiss on her knuckles.

"Ladies first", he said showing the way to the classroom. They walked in still holding eachother's hands. Luxanna was headed towards Katarina. In other words, exactly where he wanted to be.

He was about to make his way there when a closed fist broke violently into his line of vision. He saw black for the exact duration of a paradoxically long second. He was lying on the floor on his stomach when he felt some disgustingly warm liquid dripping on his upper lip. His fingers had instictively closed around his nose. He could have sworn he heard something cracking on the moment of the initial impact.

His vision was still somewhat blurry but he could make out his own blood in his palm in spite of that. Ezreal gasped in pain. He tested his balance trying to get up when he felt a powerful kick against his lower stomach. He growled. He was desperately trying to breath but the kicks kept coming fast. One after the other. He was a sitting duck, unable to move. Let alone counter attack.

He heard someone call him a filthy swine. There was commotion all around him. A small crowd had gathered around the two boys but no one had stepped in to break them apart. In contrast, they seemed to be urging Sylas to hit him even harder.

Ezreal felt his ribbs ache like never before and even the scar on his shoulder started to irk him for the first time in a while. He was lying on his side. Curled up in a ball, trying to block some of the hits using his knees and hands. Sylas stopped for a short moment to summon his chains. The cheers of the small crowd grew even louder. He heard Lux, as she was begging Sylas to stop.

Ezreal's eyes were wide when he saw the heavy golden chains around the mage's wrists as he lifted them to land a blow on his open body. He tried to focus all of his mana into making his gauntlet work but the chains were moving closer and closer. He only managed to evade the blow at the last second having arcane shifted succesfully, merely a few meters away.

But Sylas was quick to follow. He was still down on the ground when he felt his hand gripping him forcefully from the collar of his shirt. His fist was but a few inches away from his eye.

"Sylas stop!", screamed Lux desperately. This only put an unsettling grin on Sylas' lips.

"Do you even know who you're trying to defend here Luxanna"?

Ezreal managed to kick him on his stomach as he spoke to her and got away from his grasp. He wiped his blood from his face with the back of his hand. He shot Sylas with a decisive glare as he backed away. Eyebrows knitted together.

Lux was standing on the other side of the room, but the crowd was growing even bigger instead of diminishing.

"Wh- What do you mean?", she asked.

"A little heads up that you got yourself a little boyfriend would be nice by the way", he retorted sarcastically.

Ezreal had never seen him so out of it. Sylas always seemed nonchallant and composed despite his snide remarks and taunts.

Luxanna could only let her head hang between her shoulders as she couldn't face him anymore. She was visibly drowned in shame and guilt.

A sly smirk sat at Sylas' lips.

"And what a boyfriend you got..", he commented enviously. "You could have picked a random guy from the street and he still would have been better than him".

He gestured towards Ezreal. His chains were dragged on the floor with his every tiny movement.

Ezreal could feel the blood pumping on his temples. His face was getting hot.

"And you think hitting him makes you any better?", she spouted back furiously. Her hands were pressing on her sides.

"Nope. That was just something I've always wanted to do". He rested his chin on his closed fist as his chains disappeared.

"Well, what a coincidence", Ezreal said readying his gauntlet.

He could feel the energy flowing through him. Small blue sparks surrounded his crimson glove. The crystal on it was glowing.

"I've always thought you were a prick too. Let's take this outside Dregbourne", he added cockily.

Sylas flashed his teeth at him as his chains manifested once again.

"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you Lightfeather.. Or should I say Lymere"?

Ezreal's mouth fell slightly open. He took a peak at the crowd as he swallowed hard. Everyone looked confused. And Lux wasn't an exception either. _How did he..?_

He realized he had let his hand drop a little so he refocused his aim towards Sylas' heart.

"That's right", he said as he turned to face Luxanna. "There is NO Ezreal Lightfeather in Piltover. There NEVER has been"!

"What are you talking about?", asked Lux blinking many times.

"The guy is a fraud", he chuckled. "From what I've found out he's been stealing ancient artifacts and selling them to the highest bidder since he was in a craddle. Who knows what else he's done!", he said theatrically. "Even his parents couldn't bother with him. That's why they abandoned you!", he spat out at Ezreal staring at him straight in his blue eyes.

The blonde boy saw Lux's expression change from confusion to what he could only identify as pity. And that was the last thing he wanted to see.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?", Sylas questioned him. "Speaking of cats.. You're already a criminal. You could have killed poor Principal Yuumi for all we know! Like the scum that you are".

Ezreal wanted to wipe that annoying smirk of his face so bad. But he couldn't. Not right now. His blows had hit a little too close to home.

He let his hand with the gauntlet fall to his side.

"You know nothing about me".

He arcane shifted out of the classroom. His lungs pleaded for some much needed fresh air.

"Is it true?", Kayn followed him through the wall. He was sprinting to reach him, but Ezreal was simply stepping forward looking straight ahead.

"Hey I'm talking to you!", Kayn turned him around from his shoulder leaving him no other choice.

"I don't wanna hear it. Not right now", he sighed.

"I didn't see the whole thing from the start but your face.. Looks pretty fucked up", Kayn cringed.

Ezreal remained tight-lipped.

"Are you really a thief"?

"I don't wanna hear a lecture on morals right now", he said as they sat on a wooden bench.

Shieda Kayn laughed hysterically.

"What's so funny?", said a mad Ezreal.

"I'm the last person who'd ever give someone a moral lesson. Trust me".

Ezreal just stared at him waiting to hear more. Kayn huffed out a short breath.

"You may have stolen some shit for some pocket money. But you know what I used to do? I killed people". Kayn had Ezreal's undivided attention at this point.

"And boy.. was I good at it", his lips smiled but his eyes looked sad. "Anyway.. my point is we all have our skeletons. It's no big deal", he shrugged.

"I just don't want people to change the way they are around me now that everything's out in the open.. And definitely not get in trouble"..

"Well, I'll DEFINITELY not change for your grace, doofus", Kayn reassured him. "You'll just be my stupid roommate again LIGHTFEATHER", the boy with the dark hair laughed. "Couldn't you think of a better made up name"?

"Don't judge me", Ezreal managed to let out a small smile. After this he knew. Things would get better.


	33. Aftershock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm really sorry I couldn't post any chapters sooner because of exams but there will be more coming this week! See you all in the next one! Take care!

"You okay?", Katarina asked casually pointing towards her own nose.

Ezreal had wiped clean most of the blood by now. It still hurt like a motherfucker and there were traces of blood but luckily the pain was beginning to fade now. At least that's what he had convinced himself was happening.

"Yeah", he scoffed holding a tissue over his nose.

She'd found him sitting on a bench by himself. Kayn had just left to get him some water. She took a seat a next to him without bothering to ask for permission.

"Had fun at the party?", Ezreal asked.

"Sure", Katarina DuCuteau shrugged. "But it looks like you're having more fun in class", she quipped.

Ezreal laughed at her witty commentary.

"Hope your headache wasn't as bad as mine right now". His voice sounded nasal as he kept the tissue pressed on his nose.

Kat fake laughed as she tapped the tips of her fingers on her knee. Initially, he hadn't expect her to be the one to break the silence.

"Just so you know.. I'm cool with your past. Most people here are way worse than you are. Just saying".

"Thanks", he replied. For some reason he was overcome with relief when he heard her words.  _This could actually be the chance to actually get myself out of that mess I made._

"Phew", he said. "Uhm.. The other night.. At the party.. I was actually so nervous you'd be mad at the way I handled the whole Jayce thing. I didn't expect you to be so cool about it", he said as he shot her with an interrogating look.

"The Jayce thing?", she echoed dully.

"Yeah! I told you at the party about the whole aspect deal! Plus, the little white lie I told Garen.. God Kat! Don't you remember? Don't drink that much if you can't hold your liquor is what I always say", he even scolded her.

"Ah.. Yes.. That was reckless of me", she said clenching her fist. She was probably mad at Neeko, he assumed. "What did you tell Garen exactly? It's all a bit fuzzy in here", she let out an awkward smile as she tapped her forehead.

Ezreal chuckled. "That you like him".

He could have sworn he saw her eye twitching. He had to admit. It was so fun to be in a position where he could rile up the assassin when all she could do was nod and smile.

"You said what?! What was the point"?!

"Oh come on Kat.. You were fine with it the other day", he pouted his lips. He could still smell blood with every breath he took.

Katarina was trying extremely hard to keep up that fake smile. It was almost hilarious.

"As i said before.. I had to give him some sort of motivation.. Aren't you glad I got rid of Jayce"?

"At what cost Ezreal? By forcing me to get a boyfriend? And it had to be Luxanna's brother of all people..", she huffed out a breath as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"You don't have to do that. You said you'd play along with it at the party. Why change your mind all of a sudden"? Ezreal hoped to lead her on with his questions. At this point, he could make her say yes to anything as long as she believed she was covering for Neeko.

"I did now.. didn't I", she exhaled defeated.

"I guess you owe me now", Ezreal said cockily only to be met with Kat's furious glare. "I'm joking! I'm joking!", he scratched the back of his throat as he chuckled nervously.

"Don't push your luck", she replied seriously as she stood up and turned on her heels.

* * *

Luxanna pushed Sylas to the wall pressing her delicate hands on his chest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?", she furrowed her eyebrows as she shouted. She had put her elbow over his necline without even realizing. "When did you become such a bully Sylas? Huh"?

Sylas raised an eyebrow as he gave her a lopsided smile.

"People really are fucking blind", he rolled his eyes.

She backed away from him. Disgusted. To think that she had kissed him once.

"I can't believe how wrong I was about you", she said mostly to herself.

"You and me both little light", he retorted crossing his arms. His back was still against the concrete wall.

Lux lowered her gaze to her fingers.

"You're right", she whispered. "I should have told you about Ezreal sooner. That was my fault", she admitted. "But that doesn't give you any right to chase down and hurt the people I love"!

She unwittingly raised the tone of her voice. She was fuming. The only thing that she found pleasing was the fact that her voice hadn't cracked. She would hate to turn emotional in front of him.

Sylas bursted out laughing. Tears came rolling down his cheeks as he kept cackling like a mad man. Luxanna's eyes were wide with wonder. She didn't know what to make of this. Sylas coughed loudly as he tried to compose himself. The corners of his lips were turned upwards. He looked.. amused.

"So you love him?", he asked smuggly.

Lux's tongue felt like a limp muscle in her mouth.

"Th-that's..", she stammered.

Sylas clapped his hands together in a slow manner.

"Luxanna Crownguard. The lady that fell for the trump", he grinned. "I'm genuinely impressed by your incredibly low standards".

His grey eyes were completely expressionless. They looked as if they were made out of glass. And Lux.. felt like a fish out of water. She took a sharp breath.

Unexpectedly, she flashed her teeth at him giving him the bright smile he had always associated with her. She closed up the space between their lips almost entirely.

He was staring at her as if he was hungry for her touch. He still wanted her and there was no way for him to hide it. Not anymore. She had finally seen right through him. His lips parted in a keen expectancy. She placed her index finger on his mouth as she whispered.

"You will never be as good as him".

She had already turned to leave when she heard him chuckle.

"I agree. I can never get on the same level as a liar and a thief".

Lux stopped on her tracks immediately. She turned and looked at him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry..", she said. For a moment, Sylas believed she actually meant it.

"I forgot. Stealing is completely unethical.. unless you steal other people's magic. I guess that makes it okay", she reminded him of his own maliciousness as she stepped out.

* * *

Ezreal felt like he was walking on thin ice as he made his way to the Principal's office. Professor Graves was dragging both him and Sylas by the earlobes. It had started to burn but he tried not to make it blantantly obvious. Out the corner of his eyes he could see Sylas staring at him with nothing but contempt.

"You wait outside", Graves ordered Sylas and threw him on a chair in the waiting room as he ushered Ezreal inside the office. They walked in without knocking. Tiana Crownguard was visibly startled as Graves pushed his student down a chair.

Her office was proper and tidy. The shelves on her bookcase were filled with heavy books.  
 _Possibly valuable,_  Ezreal thought.  _What can I do? Old habits die hard,_  he mused. Even their covers were made out of carved leather. _Probably handmade._  The air felt suffocating as it reeked of antiseptic.

"What is it Malcolm?", she asked calmly as she took a peek at them behind a tall stack of papers.

"We can't send him to Doran's Academy. He gave us a false identity".

Ez could only look down at his shoelaces as if they were the most interesting thing in that moment. He gripped his jacket tightly around him in an effort to dispel some of his nervousness.

Principal Crownguard's face betrayed no emotion whatsoever.

"I'm aware of Mr Lymere's situation. This won't be much of a problem". She knitted her fingers together as she replied nonchallantly. Ezreal and Graves exchanged confused looks.  _How does she..?_

Tiana stood up from her brown office chair and circled around her wooden desk. She ultimately leaned against it.

"As you know I was in the school board", she explained. "Principal Yuumi -may the gods rest her soul- wanted you here. As a student", she said to the boy. "She saw something in you. Despite your ill intentions"..

Ezreal recalled breaking into the library. He wanted to disappear off the face of the earth.

"You knew", Graves asked indignant. "You knew he was using an alias? You knew he was a thief?! And no one bothered to tell me"?!

"It was Principal Yuumi's decision", she sighed.

 _Yuumi knew.. She protected me._  He felt the tears sting his eyes as the image of the heavily wounded feline flashed before his eyes. He didn't give in.

Tiana looked at the blonde boy.

"I was not happy with this either. As a matter of fact, I was against the very notion of admitting a teenager with a record in this Academy", she admitted. "But he's capable. That's a given at this point", she told Graves.

The Professor rubbed his eyes. He was clearly frustrated.

"Did Yuumi sign his admission papers?", he asked as he sat back on a chair.

"No", said the Principal. "It was a Professor Lymere. He's his uncle as far as I know. He's even paying for tuition".

He didn't know what to say.

Ezreal was dumbstruck. _I have never even met him! All I know is that he's a curator at a museum or something.. And he's paying?! I thought Yuumi had taken care of everything.._  He covered his mouth absorbed in his thoughts.

"If you knew he was a Lymere why sign him in as Lightfeather?", asked Graves still uncovinced by everything he'd heard so far.

"I haven't used that name in years".. The boy spoke up for the first time. "And as far as I thought, no one knew me as Lymere", he glared at Professor Graves.

He could tell that there was a hint of worry in the old man's eyes but it was instantly replaced with look of indifference.

Graves seemed overworked and exhausted quite frankly.

"How can we send him to Doran's Academy now?", he wondered out loud.

He looked at the boy with the golden locks. His voice was pitched with concern.

"This will be taken care of", Tiana Crownguard promised. "Just leave this to me Malcolm".


	34. Presence of Mind

Kayn was fighting against a plastic mannequin. He felt incredibly bored. He was so tired of fighting against inanimate objects. He wanted to fight against someone real. With flesh and blood. Up the stakes.

He wanted to ask Professor Zed for a sparing partner. Maybe Yasuo would have been a good match for him, he thought. Everyone had sparred with everyone in the Battle Club. Except for Shieda Kayn. Ever since he had gotten his scythe, Professor Zed had forced him to shadow fight on his own every sinle day. He felt isolated. That much he could admit.

But up until that point, he had never once questioned his teacher's judgement or intentions. Because he always thought of him as a mentor. As someone to look up to.

 _"You're alone Kayn.. Again.. I see your nightmares.. Do they trouble you?_ ", said the voice inside his head.

Kayn had been hearing it echoing over and over, ever since the scythe had chosen him. He had never replied back. But some days were worse than other. Some nights were more terrifying than others.

He had this recurring dream where he was trapped inside his own body. He felt as if his eyes were merely holes he was looking through. He was desperately trying to scream yet he couldn't use his own voice.

He saw his hands cutting. He saw his hands slashing and bruising. He saw his hands killing. They weren't his hands. Not anymore. He could no longer feel his skin as his own. He saw his claws dig into pale flesh. Gutting bellies and slicing throats.

In the end he was always alone. Horns had grown out of his head. The moon was red as it stood tall way above his head. His clothes were all torn. And he.. He was dragging his scythe on the ground leaving a trail of blood was staining the grass below.

And then he would wake up. Soaked in beads of sweat. He would see Ezreal sleeping soundly on the bed next to his. Every night he tried not to wake him up as he calmed himself down by meditating. It was a technique he had picked up in Ionia as he had watched his former master do that for years.

 _"I can't wait for the moment you stop pretending that I'm not here Kayn...",_  whispered Rhaast and his phrase would linger in his mind for days.

He saw Zoe target practicing across the room. Well, mostly destroying every target that was in front of her with a single shot. In the beggining it was quite weird for him to come to terms with how much power the little brat could evoke. But he had to admit. He was immensely impressed. But not to her face.  _Nah._. Those things were better to be kept to himself. If she knew that she'd just make his life miserable again. Even more than she already was.  _Annoying kid._

But still. He wanted to ask the Professor to let him sparr with her at least. He always thought that they wouldn't let him fight with anyone because he could actually hurt someone. He didn't know his limits quite yet. He couldn't really tell when too much was indeed too much.

And yet. Zoe was an aspect. A self proclaimed goddess. She should be able to take some extra hits compared to the others. She could even be immortal.  _What if we put that to the test?_  Kayn shook his head at his disturbing thought.

He could ask Ezreal to practice with him but he was stuck in detention due to the Sylas incident. _I mean.. If you ask me, they should have just expelled Sylas but whatever._  No one had asked for his opinion anyway.

His hand was halfway up in the air to ask Professor Zed if he could fight Zoe when someone spoke to him.

"Don't get your hopes up Criss Angel".

Kayn let his hand drop disappointed and quite frankly slightly confused.

"What?", he hesitantly asked the boy with the short but luscious white hair. Varus gestured towards Zed using his head as he put another arrow between his fingers.

"Zed. He's not gonna let a darkin loose again in this classroom".

"Why do you get to practice with the others and I don't?", he asked laying his weapon down for a second. He picked up his towel to wipe some sweat off his forehead.

"You have a darkin weapon too", he shouted angrily. Varus could only smirk as he shot an arrow. Bullseye.

"I explained it to your little friend over there the other day.. She was sad you couldn't get to play together", he mocked Zoe's voice as he spoke.

Kayn saw red. He felt his rage taking over him. She might have been his annoying friend but she was HIS annoying friend and only he had the right to make fun of her. And probably Ezreal too. He could feel his claws digging into his palm but he couldn't relax. He only stopped the pressure when he noticed the red drops of blood falling from his fist onto the floor.

He was hoping Varus wouldn't notice but it was too late.

"Seems you're already losing ground My Chemical Romance", he whispered as he leaned over Kayn's ear. "Tell Rhaast Varus says hello", he backed away from a frozen Kayn.

* * *

The boy with the braid had just picked up all of his things. He was patiently waiting for Zoe at the front door as he had done countless times before. Him, Ez and Zoe would always leave the Battle Club together.

He saw the girl with the peculiar eyes walking towards him. Unwittingly he let out a small smile.

 _"You're weaker than I thought Kayn",_  Rhaast said. His smile faded but he didn't reply to his inner demon. He wouldn't give him the pleasure of being acknowledged.

Zoe was drowning in a ridiculously big coat. But it was cold. And she looked kind of cute.  _What am I focusing on?,_  wondered Kayn before he shooed the thought.

"Hey Kayn", she said. She sounded tired. Kayn simply lifted his chin a bit to acknowledge her presence.

They were now walking side by side. Kayn could feel his face getting red due to the low temperatures. This just wasn't the climate he was used to. Every breath he let out was forming a small cloud of smoke in the atmosphere.

"I ran into Ezreal and Luxanna the other day.. Doing some pretty.. uhm.. naughty things", Zoe giggled as she covered her mouth with both hands. She was trying to breath some warmth into them.

Kayn facepalmed before he stuck his hands in his coat pockets. He gave her a deadpan look.

"Did you pop into our room? Again?", he shouted. He could see the redness in her cheeks become more visible by the second as she awkwardly flashed her teeth at him."Zoe!", he scolded her.

His hands were pressing at his waist as he rhythmically tapped his foot on the cold soil.

"Alright alright! Fine! I'll stop!", she crossed her arms. "But what do you have to hide anyway?", she pouted. Kayn rolled his eyes hard.

"What if you came in while one of us was naked or something"?

"It's not like I haven't seen you before Kayn..", she retorted smuggly with a sly smirk plastered upon her lips.

"You have?", he yelled.  _Alright stay calm now.. That's not the point._  "Anyway.. Varus told me you had a little chat about me.. Is it.. uh.. true"?

"Yes". Zoe's expression became solemn out of the blue.

He wasn't sure what he expected to hear from her. But it certainly wasn't a one-word answer.

"Care to.. uhm.. elaborate?", Kayn blinked. Zoe immediately stopped at her tracks.

"Ever since the mirror dimension.. I've had nightmares. Nightmares about you Kayn. I should have talked to you about this a long time ago.. Even Ezreal said so".

"Ezreal"?

Zoe nodded. Kayn noticed her swallow hard.

This wasn't the Zoe he knew. The Zoe he knew would always grin like an idiot no matter what. She never had a care in the world. At least that's what it seemed like. But not now. Bacause right now her lips were pressed together. Her eyes seemed cold. Her body distant. For a second there, Kayn thought that he was eyeing some sort of extraterrestrial being. Her eterochromia made her look even stranger now. Frankly she inspired fear and awe.

"What do you dream about?", he asked abruptly. He could feel his heart beating slightly faster as he awaited her response.

The short girl sighed and closed her eyes. They were still shut when she begun to speak. She mostly sounded as if she was reciting a passage.

"I see the blood moon.. I see you.. Only it's different. You're different. Your hands are dripping with the blood of your enemies. Only they're not your enemies to defeat. And you.. You're no longer you.. And all I can do is to observe from the stars. I can't help you. You're hidden in the shadows". Zoe opened her eyes.

Kayn felt a sudden chill in his spine. He could see her lips twitching. She took a deep breath. She seemed much more relaxed almost right away.

"Zoe..", Kayn lifted his clawed hand to comfort her but she spontaneously jerked away from him. She looked at him as if she was afraid. Her eyes were wide. Her forehead wrinkled.

"I don't want you to lose Kayn. Not like Varus. That's what he told me.. The Darkin of War overtook two students to become Varus! What makes you think you can win Rhaast? You were willingly cursed by the Darkin of Death"! She gestured vaguely in his direction. Kayn thought she'd looked at him with disgust. "And you.. You're just a mortal boy"! She lifted her tiny hand to hit him.

Kayn blocked her hit with ease by simply clutching her wrist mid air with his claws. She was obviously using all of her strength but it wasn't enough for her to break away from his grip.

"Let me go!", she whined.

 _"The aspect is smarter than you Kayn..",_  Rhaast whispered. He could almost feel the Darkin's breath in his ear.

"SHUT UP!", he let out an unearthly scream as he finally let go of Zoe's wrist. The shape of his claws had been carved on her tiny arm like a nasty burn on her pale skin.

Zoe hugged her arm as she stared in shock. Her eyes were welling up with tears. Her mouth was open as her bottom lip was quivering violently.

"Zoe", he called out her name as soon as he'd realized what he'd done. "I'm sorry", he took a step closer to her.

Zoe immediately backed away further from him.

"Promise me this", her voice cracked. "Promise me you'll beat him. Promise me you're not like Varus", her bottom lip was still trembling at the weight of her words. She wouldn't let the tears fall off her eyes.

When Kayn spoke his voice was steady. His mind was clear.

"There's no one like me", he said between clenched teeth. "No one"!

He shot the girl with a deadly glare before he left her alone.


	35. Cheap Shot

Ezreal swallowed hard as his index finger connected with the silver button in front of the big gate.

Professor Graves had put both him and Sylas in detention for the entirety of the afternoon. Thankfully no cleaning up toilets this time. It was something way worse for him. He had to fill an entire hundred-page notebook with the phrase: I will never again be involved in a physical altercation with my classmates. _What a waste of time.._

He had spent his whole day sitting next to Sylas without exchanging a single word. They just glared at eachother whenever they took a small break. His hand still hurt from holding the pencil through all these hours. And he had missed the Battle Club class too.

_I would straight up expell this fucking guy but whatever.. Maybe I should report this to the Ministry of Education or something.._

His inner monologue was cut short by the sound of a male voice that had come straight out of a speaker. It was probably that same butler he had encountered the last time he had come to Lux's house.  _What was his name?_

"Who is it"? _Sebastian! That's right.._

"It's uhh.. Ezreal. Ezreal Lightfeather", his statement sounded more like a question.

He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. He wasn't sure if Lux would want to see him.. After all, he had lied to her. He had never told her his real name. How would she feel now that everyone knew that she was going out with a purse snatcher? She probably wouldn't even want to be seen next to him. She was a high-class citizen. And he.. He wasn't.

"Mr Lightfeather. How can I help you?", asked Sebastian. His voice sounded robotic coming straight from a machine.

"Is Luxanna here? I'd like to speak with her", he explained. "If I may", he added hastily hoping that fancy words would get him what he wanted.

"Lady Luxanna is here but I'm afraid that she's unavailable at the moment", the voice said soulessly.

Ezreal scratched the back of his head as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Ughh.. When will she be available?", asked Ezreal with a hint of audaciousness in his tone. "Can I come by later"?

"I'm afraid not".

Ezreal blinked. The butler continued to speak.

"I've been instructed not to let you in this threshold".

"By whom?", Ezreal knitted his eyebrows.

 _What the fuck?_  He expected he'd get some backlash out of his past being revealed but not like this. Lux knew who he was after all. His last name was just a minor detail.  _Right?_

"Young master's orders. I'm terribly sorry but you have to leave".

"Wait!", shouted Ezreal at the speaker but the butler was already gone.

He started to ring the button again and again furiously. No one was answering. He let out a grunt in frustration.

"Alright.. Have it your way "young master"", he mocked as he remembered that the front door wasn't the only entrance. _We'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way._

* * *

Garen Crownguard had just put on his silky robe and he was about to immerse himself into the world of the Star Guardians.  _Yeah I know. It's a guilty pleasure don't judge me._

He was sitting on a big leather armchair in front of the fireplace. He picked up the newest issue and carefully unwrapped it. He examined the cover illustration.

A girl with ridiculously long purple hair was pictured at the top of the page. One of her eyes was blue while this other one was gleaming pink. In her hands there were strings connected to two other character at the bottom of the illustration. She was holding them with a malicious smile plastered upon her face as she controlled them like puppets. It was a boy along with a girl with pink hair. They both had a single wing on their backs. The girl was throwing feather daggers at the other character. But her expression made it quite obvious that this wasn't her choice. But the boy was simply taking the hits. Without even trying to defend himself.

"Man.. They're gonna kill me with these", he giggled as he flipped the book open.

"I see you're a man of culture as well", a smugg voice startled him making him drop the book on his slippers.

Garen gasped as he sprung up. His warrior stance looked pretty weak. His fists were up yet his whole outfit didn't make him look menacing. At all.

He saw Ezreal lying on the couch opposite his chair while he played with the fabric belt of his coat. His shoes were staining the very expensive sofa.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!", Garen yelled. "This is breaking and entering! I'm going to call the police"!

Ezreal didn't bat an eye at his idle threat as he kept on fumbling with his belt.

"Hey get your feet of that couch! It's probably more expensive than anything you've ever stolen Lymere", Garen said that last bit as if it was a curse.

The blond boy rolled his eyes as his feet landed on the floor with a thump.

"Relax.. You can send the bill to my uncle's museum", he replied indifferently.

Garen ignored his answer.

"Get the hell out of my house. I'm not joking I'm calling the police", he turned on his heels to leave only to be met by Ezreal's glorious form as it appeared right in front of him.

"That would be pretty pointless", he said seriously as he placed a hand on Garen's shoulder. "Impossible comebacks are sort of my specialty", he quipped.

Garen sat back at his chair defeated as Ezreal arcane shifted back to the sofa.

"What do you want Ezreal?", he huffed.

"Me? Not much! By the way has Lux mentioned me at all today"?

Garen clenched both of his fists but he decided he wouldn't resort to violence. At least not yet.

"I'd hit you but I see that Dregbourne has already done you in", he said pointing to the first-year's nose.

He could see Ezreal's cocky smile fade slowly. His lips were perched in a disgusted expression.

"Oh that? It's nothing.. You should see the other guy", Ezreal replied regaining his cool.

"I'm sick of your shit Lightfeather-Lymere, whatever the hell your name is. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. I just want you out of my sister's life".

"That's not your decision to make. It's hers and hers only".

Garen couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"What's so funny?", the boy asked.

"You really are a fool. This is high society. This isn't Piltover. Luxanna is betrothed to be married to a proper suitor. A proper. Not the likes of you"!

Ezreal gulped as he fixed his posture.

"Wait.. What?", he asked as he tried to get a grip of the new information.

"You heard me the first time. You're just a past-time. The sooner you realize the better it is. Deal with it and get out of my face", he said as he picked up his book off the floor.

He opened it at a random page and pretended to read. When his eyes landed on the sofa again, Ezreal was nowhere to be found.


	36. Tear of the Goddess

He screamed when he saw the thick, dried liquid between his fingers. Stray strands of dark hair were blocking his vision, but he could still make out the chaos taking place in front of his eyes. A constellation of wet, yellow leaves and tufts of hair was trapped between his knees and the cold soil. But he stayed there. Still.

He observed his hands for a few more seconds. His corrupted arm seemed unscathed but the other one was filled with grazes and scratches. Dirt and mud was stuck underneath his fingernails. Hesitantly he took a sniff of his hand. The metallic smell of blood, mixed with that of the wet soil made him nauseous. Terrified, Kayn stood up and started to manically wipe his palms on the fabric of what was left of his Battle Club uniform. The corruption had reached his chest. An iron-like material was covering half of it. He let out soft, unintelligible sounds.

 _Where am I?_  He felt as if he had just woken up yet his entire body felt limp from exhaustion. His upper body was exposed. His feet were bare. The only piece of clothing he was wearing was a worn out pair of pants. Torn in random spots.

The cold winter breeze felt like sandpaper against his back. Instinctively, he crossed his arms, trying to hug his shoulders. All he felt under the tips of his fingers was skin and metal alike.

His torso was almost entirely covered in that same substance that stained his hands. He didn't want to think about what it was. He licked his fingertips before he furiously rubbed the stain. He was using so much strength he could flay his own skin. But it wouldn't come off. No matter how hard he tried.

All he could do was hope that the blood was his own. He searched his body for a wound but there was nothing.

Disappointed he sat down with his back against a tree trunk. What had happened to him? He had blacked out. He wracked his brain trying to recall his most recent memory. It was after Battle Club. He was walking with Zoe to the dormitory. She was crying. He felt a sting in his heart as he remembered the tears in her oddly coloured eyes. She had tried to hit him. He grabbed her. He hurt her. He buried his face in his palms.

"The Aspect is smarter than you Kayn", Rhaast had said. And for the first time he had responded to him. And this.. This was the beginning.

"You're already losing ground", Varus had said.  _It can't be._. Kayn thought. He didn't want to even examine the possibility of Rhaast taking over his body last night.

 _It can't be.._  He chanted the phrase like a mantra in his mind.

He took a glance at his surroundings. He was circled by nothing but trees. A few meters to his left, a silver blade was shimmering as it reflected the golden sun rays. Kayn immediately recognized it as his scythe.

He no longer had the strength to stand up. He crawled towards his weapon. The eye on it was glowing red like a neon sign. As if it was taunting him. He carefully wrapped his fingers around it.

"Poor Kayn. All those plans for naught", Rhaast said. His voice sounded louder than ever before.

"What did you do?!", Kayn demanded to know. He probably looked like a madman talking to himself if anyone happened to watch but at this point appearances were the last thing that mattered.

"Destruction, wrath, fury! As it was meant to be!", Rhaast broke out in disturbing laughter.

Kayn felt chills as he saw the hair in his arms stand up. He started to walk decisively once he regained some of his composure. He was trying not to step on anything sharp since he wore no shoes. The more steps he took the more trees would surround him. He felt completely lost but he wouldn't give up. Not just yet.

"Promise me you'll beat him", Zoe's image flashed before his eyes. He felt miserable. He'd let her down. He wasn't sure what had happened last night but it surely wasn't good. Aside from the howling wind and the dried leaves that were crashed under his weight there was deafening silence.

After walking for what seemed like an eternity he reached the road. He could see a gas station but it was too far away. He let his body fall on top of the cold asphalt as his eyes closed, giving in to exhaustion.

* * *

Zoe was walking alongside Kayn. They took their typical route to their Clubroom. When they finally reached their destination Kayn stopped at his tracks. Zoe spread her neck to meet his gaze. The only thing he did was to give her a coy smile. For some reason she didn't know, her heart began to flutter when their arms grazed eachother. The heat on her face rose spontaneously. Kayn's yellow eyes glimmered under the sunlight. She had never noticed how unique they were before.

The boy with the braid leant towards her. Their faces were inches away from eachother when Kayn's eyes suddenly became red. The corners of his lips turned upwards to form an unsettling smile.

Zoe jerked away from him as fast as she could. Kayn's limp body fell on the ground in a sitting position. She couldn't see his face. A dark cloud of smoke was oozing from him. Without a warning, the boy she once knew let out a gut-wrenching scream as he transformed into a heinous beast. Horns had grown out of his head. His entire body seemed to be covered in a metal material that resembled some sort of armor. His claws became bigger.

 _Rhaast..,_  Zoe thought. Her hands were shaking upon her mouth.

Rhaast wore Kayn's body like a meatsuit as he slowly stood up. He couldn't move fast. But he was trying to get to her. Zoe could sense his bloodlust. And she.. Her whole body was trembling. She wanted to make a move. She wanted to shout out his name. But she couldn't. She was frozen and rooted in place.

Rhaast dragged Kayn's feet lazily.

"Don't be scared little one". His voice was a mixture of Kayn's voice with something else. Something she couldn't identify.

She bit her tongue in an effort to get herself together but it was futile.

Rhaast was coming closer and closer. Scythe hanging over his shoulder and all. His irises were bright red. Surrounded by black. He was ready to attack her when his body started to shake violently.

"Help me", Kayn pleaded as he extended his arm towards her.

* * *

Zoe woke up with a bad feeling spreading across her chest. She had just had another nightmare. Only this time, it was different. And it felt more real. More than ever before. Her heartbeat was echoing in her ears. It scared her.

She lifted her hand to stroke her long, luscious hair when she saw the burn that Kayn's claws had done just a few hours ago. The sight made her stomach coil. It seemed irritated.

She took a peak at the clock on her nightstand. It was way too early. The sun was just beginning to come out she noticed.

She sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists. A blurry image from her dream broke her chain of thought.

_"Help me"._

Without a second thought she opened up a portal on her bedroom wall.

 _Take me to Kayn,_  she wished with all of her heart. She took a deep breath as she jumped into oblivion.


	37. Realm Warp

Ezreal woke up to the sound of someone manically banging on his dorm room door. He rubbed his eyes as he took a deep breath.  _What the..?_  His thoughts were still incoherent.

He glanced at the bed next to his. It was empty.  _What time is it?_  He wondered taking a peak at his wrist watch. It was 5.30 in the morning. He got up lazily and dragged his feet on his way to answer the door.

"Just walk through the wall next time you forget your keys!", he growled expecting to be greeted by his roommate. He was surprised when he locked eyes with a visibly irritated Professor Graves. "Professor what are you d-"

Graves barged into the room dragging a puzzled Ezreal along with him. The older man took a look around.

"Where's your roommate?", he asked.

"I don't know I thought he was you", shrugged a sleepy Ezreal. His eyelids were still half closed.

"That's great. The less people know the better it is anyway", he replied. He seemed to be on edge. He stood tall inside the tiny room. "What is going on?", the boy asked as he ruffled his hair. "You are going to Doran's Academy".

"Yeah I know that. So?", Ezreal raised an eyebrow. Professor Graves grinned mischievously.

"You don't understand. You're going to Doran's Academy, as in.. now".

Ezreal's blue eyes widened.

"Now?! I thought we had time", he shouted.

"Shh..! Keep your voice down!", Graves ordered him and Ezreal couldn't help but obey. "Listen. Pricipal has called in a few favours. There was no other choice. You can't pass the borders with your record".

"Are the others coming too"?

Graves gave him a blank stare.

"Are you kidding me? That's your mind-boggling question? We have come up with this whole plan just because you've been a dumbass all your life and the only thing you wanna know is if your friends are tagging along"? Graves rolled his eyes.

Ezreal stared at his feet feeling somewhat flustered.

"I didn't think my record was that bad..", he mumbled under his breath but his teacher had heard him loud and clear.

Frustrated the man with the red beard pulled out a yellow dossier out of his coat.

"Lemmee see... What do we have here.. Oh yes here we are.. Do you want me to list them alphabetically or are you cool with whatever"? Graves asked sarcastically. Ezreal opened up his mouth but the teacher interrupted him before he could actually say something.

"Don't answer that. Multiple charges of larseny.. The usual stuff", he commented raising his eyebrows. "Burglary, forgery, fraud, tomb raiding, vandalism, contempt of court, disorderly conduct.. Let me guess: Public urination isn't it"? He glared at Ezreal.

The boy gave him an apologetic smile as he felt his cheeks getting hotter.

"That I can explai-"

"Arson? Minor in possession of alcohol? Oh boy.. You really have done it all", Graves scratched his forehead as he flipped through the pages of Ezreal's file.

"I was immature and stupid!", Ezreal defended himself.

"You still are immature and stupid!", Graves scolded him. He took a deep breath. "Just pack your things. I'll wait outside".

* * *

Ezreal followed his teacher obediently to a separate building in the campus. By the sign, he realized this was actually the staff's private chambers. A swarm of questions wracked his brain but he hesitated to voice them as he carried a big duffel bag over his shoulder.

He didn't remember exactly what floor they were on now. His mind was still relatively asleep. He really needed his eight hours of sleep.

Graves stopped on his tracks as his knocked on a wooden door.

"This is the Protector. He'll take care of you", the teacher explained as they waited for the occupant of the apartment to answer the door.

A muscular man with long, luscious yellow hair opened the door with a bright smile upon his face.

"You must be here for the makeover", he chirped pointing at Ezreal.  _Makeover? What?_

"Just get him ready as fast as possible", was the only thing Graves said before he abandoned Ezreal to the hands of the Protector.

"Well come on in! Chop chop!", the man urged the boy.

He had him sit down on a plastic chair in front of a mirror. Ezreal took a look around the exceptionally tidy apartment as the man placed a towel on his shoulders.

"You can't have said makeover right? My mind's still sleeping", Ezreal chuckled.

"Oh you ARE getting a makeover boy", the boy could see the man flash his teeth through the mirror. "Hmm.. Let's see", he mumbled as he searched through a drawer. "Aha!", he exclaimed, revealing what seemed like a black toothpaste tube.

He approached Ezreal with an ominous glare in his eyes.

"What are you doing?", the blond boy jerked away.

"I'm dying your hair, little gem!", the man replied as if it was the most obvious answer in existence. "I'm the Aspect of the Protector by the way. But you can call me Taric", he said casually.

"You're an Aspect?!", Ezreal gasped. "I think I remember seeing you at the Winter Ball actually. You're the one who got everyone outside right"?

"That was all me", Taric flexed his muscles. "That Crownguard girl helped as well though so I can't really take full credit for that one".

Ezreal felt his stomach sink when he remembered of what Garen had told him the night before.

_"Luxanna is betrothed to be married to a proper suitor. A proper. Not the likes of you"!_

I mean he had never thought that far. Him and Lux had just started dating. But marriage? That entire concept was alien to him. But still. He felt bothered. He was irritated by the fact that Luxanna apparently had a fiance she had forgotten to mention.

"Blond really suits you but my job is to change your appearance as much as I can. Graves' orders", Taric smiled.

"Fine", Ezreal replied when he realized he had no other choice.

"Oh what's that you're wearing?", Taric asked when he noticed the string around Ezreal's neck. "Is it a gem? Tell me it's a gem!", he added excitedly.

_What's up with this guy anyway.._

"You mean this?", Ezreal pulled the rest of his amulet out from his shirt. "It's called a diopside. I found it myself actually", Ezreal said proudly.

"A black star stone!", Taric's eyes widened.

"I don't think it's valuable though", Ezreal sighed. He had found the stone as he dug through a cave with his pickaxe. Word was that there were valuable minerals in there so he took his shot. Unfortunately for him, all that came out of this whole ordeal was this tiny black stone. But Ezreal liked it anyway. It was good enough for him.

"Not everything's about value", Taric smiled. "May I"?

Ezreal gave the amulet to him. The Protector took it and paced towards the window. He held the stone with this thumb and index fingers. Ezreal was quick to follow.

When he leaned it towards the sun, a four pointed star shined on it.

"It is said that these stones have a powerful protective spirit inside them. And the star is their reflection. Black stars are stones that reflect the hidden part of ourselves, and bring out our brightest light, even in the worst moments", Taric set the amulet back on Ezreal's palm. "You should keep it".

"Our brightest light", the boy echoed impressed. He couldn't help but think of Lux.

"Alright let's get down to business. We've got work to do", Taric pushed Ezreal back on the chair.

About half an hour later, Ezreal's head was covered in a dark thick substance, while Taric was using a brush to cover every spot.

"Why are YOU dying my hair of all people? Don't you have other -more "aspecty"- things to do?", Ezreal asked with his eyebrows knitted together.

"Ugh.. An Aspect's work is never done", Taric mumbled.

When everything was said and done Ezreal took a look of himself in the mirror.

"Tadda!", Taric had finally let him open his eyes.

He looked.. weird. His hair was pitch black. It was definetely going to take a while to get used to this. Taric had even dyed his eyebrows. Would Lux still like him?, he wondered.

"How do I look?", he asked nervously.

"All cute and princely", the Protector gave him the thumbs up.

There was a knock on the door. A few moments later the endlessly grumpy Professor Graves entered the room. He took a look at Ezreal.

"Alright. Good job", he said to a Taric who was eagerly waiting for feedback on his work.

"Now listen up. You're no longer Ezreal Lymere. We've signed you in under a different name".

Ezreal blinked confused.

"Your classmates who will meet you at Doran's Academy will be notified as well. So you have nothing to worry about", Graves reassured him.

"So what's my name then"?

"Your name is Jarro Lightfeather. You come from a military family in Demacia. That is your cover story. Better keep that in mind or both schools will be exposed and charged with harboring a fugitive".

Ezreal simply nodded to show that he understood the severity of the situation.

"Now naturally, Doran's Academy's principal and a few trustworthy teachers will know who you are but to everyone else: You are Jarro Lightfeather. Got it?", Graves said with a thick cigar tucked between his lips.

"Yes sir".

* * *

Professor Graves had taken him to a place he'd never been before. It looked like a werehouse.

When they stepped into the dark room Ezreal instantly spotted Tianna Crownguard standing next to a man he'd never seen before.

It was a bald man with weird tattoos on his head. When Ezreal got a little closer he noticed his skin had a blueish tone. He was wearing glasses and doned a thick black beard.

"This is Professor Ryze from Doran's Academy", Tianna Crownguard explained. "He'll take you there safely".

Professor Ryze eyed him curiously. His arms were folded together.

"So that's the boy"? He seemed completely unimpressed. His voice sounded hostile.

"Just do what you agreed to do Ryze", Professor Graves chimed in.

"I would chide you for your idiocy, but you seem pretty proud of it", Ryze replied.

Professor's Graves' hands insinctively reached for his shotgun.

"Let's get this over with quickly now, shall we?", Tianna Crownguard said, releasing the built up tension. "Ezreal come here. Proffessor Ryze and you are going to teleport to the Academy".

Ezreal looked at Professor Graves then turned to face his Principal.

"May I have a word with the Professor first"?

"Sure", she retorted.

Ezreal took Graves aside where they couldn't hear them.

"Are you sure this is alright Professor?", Ezreal asked still unsure of the whole thing.

Graves grunted positevely.

"I may not really like this guy, but I trust him. You have my word", he said.

"Alright", Ezreal began to walk towards the man with the blue skin. Suddenly he stopped and addressed his teacher once again.

"Professor? Can you tell my roommate about this? He'll be looking for me". Graves nodded.

"I'm ready. Let's do this", he spoke audaciously to Ryze.

The man reached out for Ezreal's hand.

"Hang on tight", he said. The floor beneath the boy's feet disappeared. He felt as if he was being sucked into a different dimension. Blue light had surrounded them. He was watching Tianna Crownguard's eyes as he felt his body falling. He kept on falling and all of a sudden he could no longer see her blue eyes. The dark room had been replaced with a different one. One that was filled with colour and light. Bookcases were everywhere around him. He saw a couple of students walk down an aisle but nobody paid them any attention.

"Welcome to Doran's Academy for the gifted", Professor Ryze said as he let go of the boy's hand.


	38. Paranoia

His arms were strapped to the bed. His long, dark hair was messy and tangled. His chest bare. Covered in blood and metal. His eyes wide shut. His whole frame seemed shrinking and collapsed.

Zoe couldn't stop biting her fingernails as she sat on a chair next to him.

Her eyes lit up when the man reappeared in her line of vision.

"So when will he wake up?", she asked.

"For the last time Zoe: I don't know.. This might be better for him actually".

Professor Zed placed a wet towel on Kayn's forehead. The boy was burning up.

The tears stung her eyes but she wouldn't let them roll down her cheeks. She took a deep breath in order to stay calm.

"There has to be something right? There has to be something we can do!", she pleaded in a high pitched voice.

Professor Zed let his head fall down. His disappointment was tangible.  _Was this the right place?,_  Zoe wondered.

After she'd found Kayn's limp body lying on a road almost outside the town her first thought was to get him to Professor Zed. He'd know what to do..  _Right? Right?_

Her second thought was to notify Ezreal. But the boy with the golden locks was nowhere to be found. He was gone. At a time when Kayn most needed him Ezreal was gone. She felt angry at him. What kind of a friend was he exactly?  _Friends are supposed to be there for you!_

But most of all she felt angry at herself. She didn't exactly know why that was but she'd seen this coming. She had this nagging feeling for quite some time. She was wracking her brain to come up with an explanation. With a plan. With a solution. But she just didn't know what do. How would she help Kayn get rid of the Darkin that was infesting his body?

"His mind was weak", Zed said in a stern voice. His white bangs almost covered his eyes as he cleaned Kayn's chest from the blood. "And now his body is weak as well".

"He's fighting him!", Zoe exclaimed. "I know Kayn, Professor. He's a fighter"!

Zed let out a small smile.

"I don't doubt that Zoe. He is my student after all", the Professor said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone. He sighed. "He's sleeping because his body can't handle the pain", he explained. "He's changing. Look at him".

Kayn's body was slowly but steadily being covered in the metal-like material that had already consumed his arm. Even half of his face had been corrupted.

"He's turning into a Darkin", Zed buried his face in his hands. "Valmar.. Kai.. I've lost way to many students to this.. curse. When will they learn not to mess with these things!?". When his eyes met Zoe's she noticed that they were red as the tears were dangerously close to falling.

"I'm sorry.." . The man took a deep breath in order to snap out of it. "If he wakes up he might die from the pain. We can't let him wake up".

Zoe covered her mouth with her hands.  _No.. This can't be_. Kayn's normal hand was twitching.

"I'm the Aspect of Twilight!", Zoe said desperately once she regained her cool. "There has to be something at least I can do"!

Zed furrowed his brow.

"You could seal the Darkin back into his weapon. That's how he was defeated last time.. But if we do that now.. You will be sealing Kayn's soul inside as well.. He'll be lost forever into oblivion. The Darkin may be immortal but he is not".

Zoe bit her bottom lip.

"Kayn has to beat the Darkin on his own", Professor Zed concluded.

At the same time, the boy's hand started to twitch violently. They heard his breathing pattern become less steady. His eyebrows were knitted together.

"He's waking up!", Zed deduced.

_We can't let that happen._

Without hesitating Zoe grabbed Kayn's hand and focused. She saw purple. She saw butterflies. She saw a tiny bubble hovering over her friends head. She focused her mana as the bubble grew bigger by the second. The butterflies inside were multiplying at fast rates, leaving trails of pixie dust as they shined bright. With one swift movement, Zoe let the bubble land gently on her friend's face. No more than two seconds later, Kayn was back to a calm sleep.

* * *

Water. When he tried to open his mouth tiny bubbles of air escaped his lips. He was trapped in what felt like an underwater cage. He kicked the metal bars but they wouldn't badge at all. His heart started to race so fast he was scared that his ribcage would explode. His chest felt heavy. He was starting to panic when he realized that he could breathe.

He could breathe underwater.

He took a glance to his left. A disheveled, small figure was in the cage next to him. This creature couldn't even stand up. Let alone try to escape this prison.

Kayn kept kicking and screaming but to no avail. The water pressure was unbearable. He saw the bubbles that had left his lips escape from the cage. He tried to reach them extending his arms but the bubbles bursted at his touch. And he.. He was still locked away.

A few moments later a bright red light made him squint. He was full of hope but all of a sudden it started to burn. The water around had been filled with thick blood. He slouched and tried to cover his body with his arms. The light was burning his skin. He screamed and he screamed. The sound of his voice echoed distorted in his eardrums.

Out the corner of his eye, he spotted a hooded figure that was holding tightly onto a book. Kayn saw his skin burn and wither. The man in the hood was reading something out loud in a tongue that Kayn had never heard of before. It was almost as if he was chanting.

Soon enough the cage was filled with ash. And as his body was slowly deteriorating and disappearing, the figure next to him was evolving. Taking a new, bigger form. It was becoming stronger and stronger. Its bones were starting be covered in red flesh and muscles. Bright, scarlet eyes were glowing in the water. Terrible horns cut through the creature's skull.

The last thing Kayn saw was a smile. A smile that would be etched in his mind forever.

Silence. Darkness.

"Poor Kayn.. Guess I was a bad influence after all".

The boy's lungs and throat felt empty. He felt like he was choking.

He heard a deep, husky voice hum to a children's song. He heard a music box play in the distance.

 _Rhaast.._  he thought.  _Rhaast.. I must not forget._

"Kayn's dead baby. Kayn's dead", he heard someone sing-song.

 _Rhaast._  A long forgotten ancient word.

_What does it mean?_

The voice kept humming happily but Kayn couldn't see a thing.

_What does it mean?_

"Obey. That's what it means idiot".

He couldn't see a damn thing.

He couldn't speak.

He couldn't move.

A tiny ray of light. Followed by a small, purple butterfly.

It came and sat on his kneecap leaving a trail of glittering pixie dust behind it.

_I must not forget._


	39. Echo

Lux walked into her classroom with Katarina DuCuteau by her side. Her lips were turned upwards forming her signature bright smile. Today, she'd let her hair down instead of her usual ponytail. She knew Ezreal liked it that way. And yeah okay she was fishing for compliments. Vanity is a girl's best friend after all.

Her grin faded slowly once she spotted the blond boy's empty seat. She searched the classroom for him but he wasn't there. Disappointed she sat down at her own desk.  _Even Kayn's gone.._  She quickly realized. _I'll ask Zoe._

She spun around expecting to see the girl with the oddly coloured eyes, only to find out that she was gone as well. She felt a knot in her throat. For some reason, she had a bad feeling but she soon passed it off as her being paranoid.

She tapped the girl with the pink hair on her shoulder. Katarina turned around. Her eyes were half closed.

"What?", she asked indifferently. Luxanna bit her tongue.

"Hey.. uhm.. h-have you seen Ezreal anywhere?", she stammered.

Katarina scoffed. "Nope", she said before she turned back around.

Lux hesitated but tapped her on the shoulder once again. This time Katarina didn't even say a word when the girls locked eyes.

"You.. haven't seen Kayn either right"?, Lux asked trying to play it off as a casual question.

"You're borderline obsessed with this peasant", said Kat.

"He's not a peasant!", Lux defended him. "He's from Piltover"!

"You didn't even try to deny you're obsessive", she cackled. "Well, at least Ezreal's a lot better than the other Pilties I know", said Katarina rather too loud.

Luxanna saw Jayce stroll right past them at that moment. He couldn't have missed her friend's snarky remark. Lux knitted her fingers together as Jayce gave them both a wide smile.

"What are you girlies talking about?", he asked in a polite manner.

"Nothing!", Lux rushed to say but Katarina ignored her completely.

"We're just discussing how Pilties are basically trash", she said with a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Ugh.. That's unfortunate", he commented. "I'm just glad I'm the exception to your rule", Jayce walked off before Kat had the chance to reply with something equally snappy. She was simply fuming behind her desk.  _Probably imagining Jayce's back ornated with a dozen steak knives._

Not long after, Professor Graves walked into the room.

"Crownguard, DuCuteau I want you two in my office after class", the man said straightening his glasses.

"Looks like your little boyfriend just vanished after everyone found out who he really is.. Poof!", Luxanna heard a raspy voice dripping with poison. She immediately recognized it Sylas' but she chose to remain quiet. At least for now.

* * *

Lux was surprised to find her brother standing outside Graves' office.

"Garen? What are you doing here"?

"I was just told to come here after class", he shrugged. "Hey.. Kat", he added shyly.

"Uhm. Hi", Katarina robotically waved a quick hello.

The heavy wooden door suddenly opened.

"Are you waiting for a special invitation? Come on in little brats", Professor Graves rolled his eyes.

The three of them took their seats as Graves lit up a thick cigar.

"Let's cut to the chase", he said as he breathed out a cloud of smoke. "I've sent Ezreal to Doran's Academy".

"What? Why?", Luxanna asked.

"It was the only way for him to get there safely. He's wanted in case y'all didn't know", he sat back at his big leather chair.

Lux remained silent, staring at her knee socks.

"So? Why are we here?", Katarina asked indifferently.

"Because we've given him a fake identity. His name is Jarro Lightfeather and he's from Demacia. In a few days you are to join him in the Academy along with the Principal". Graves let even more smoke escape his nostrils. "Don't blow his cover".

The four of them were looking at eachother in silence.

"What are you looking at me like that for? Dismissed", Graves growled.

* * *

"Luxanna I need a moment", Garen said in a commanding voice. Lux couldn't help but follow her brother.

"What is it"?

Garen seemed nervous. He kept sighing and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"You're scaring me", she said.

"I.. uh.. Ezreal came by the mansion yesterday".

Lux's eyes widened.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me?", she whispered angrily.

"Because he's a criminal Luxanna! I don't want him anywhere near you! I worry about you!", Garen admitted indignant.

"You have no right to tell me how I'm supposed to live my life", Luxanna retorted decissively.

"That's what he said as well when I told him about Jarvan".

Lux's mouth fell open.

"Wh- Wha- Why? Why would you tell him that?!".

The heat in her body had began to increase dangerously. The pressure on her temples was real.

"I had to. You KNOW Jarvan's gonna be in Doran's Academy. What are you gonna tell him then? 'Hello my sweet fiance! By the way, this is my boyfriend?!' You have a duty. You can't afford to waste your time around scum like him. You are a Lady. Act like one", Garen said tapping her above the heart with his index finger.

 _But.. But.. But.._  Lux was trying to find a good excuse to use but nothing. She came up with nothing.

* * *

"This is going to be your roommate for your remaining time in Doran's Academy. I hope you find your stay here hospitable", said a woman in a french accent whose name Ezreal had already forgotten.

She seemed pretty young to be the headmistress and let's just say she didn't quite follow an elite school's dress code.

Ezreal extended his arm to give a handshake to a boy with white hair. He was wearing a white shirt along with a loose tie and his hair was styled into a mohawk. He had dark skin and brown, kind eyes but his gaze seemed hostile.

"Tsk", the boy clicked his tongue as he shook Ezreal's hand begrudgingly."Why do I have to get the short end of the straw Miss Fiora? Couldn't you pair the new kid up with someone else"? His hands landed on the headphones around his neck.

"Ekko!", the woman scolded him. "This isn't a new kid! How many times must I explain this? Jarro is a guest of honor from Durrandal's God-Weapon Academy! And didn't I tell you to do something about that hair?", she reminded him as she rhythmically tapped her foot on the floor.

It was awkward for Ezreal to feel like an annoyance but unfortunately he didn't have much of an option. This time he was forced to play by the rules.

"Behave", Headmistress Fiora ordered the boy as she shut the door behind her with a thud.

"Uhm.. I'm Jarro Lightfeather..", Ezreal hesitantly introduced himself.

But the boy didn't even bother to reply. His headphones were already plugged in as he immersed himself in his music lying on an untidy bed. The entire room was untidy to be precise. And what a shame. Because it was bigger than the one he and Kayn had been sleeping in for an entire semester. And he had it all to himself.

 _I won't have this.._  Ezreal took a deep breath before he tapped the boy's shoulder.

"What do you want?", he sighed.

"I'm Jarro. Ekko, wasn't it?", he awkwardly flashed his teeth. The fake name still felt weird on his lips but none of it mattered.

"Yep. It's Ekko", replied the boy. "Or God Almighty. Depending on who you're asking", he remarked sarcastically.

 _Well, he's a piece of work that's for sure,_  Ezreal thought but he chose not to voice any of it.

"Okay.. I'll go with Ekko", Ezreal said with a hint of audacity in his tone.

Ekko sat up with smirk on his lips. "Noo.. You see.. the reason you should go with God Almighty is because I'm sitting here right in front of you. If you pay close attention, you might be able to actually learn something from me and my gargantuan wisdom".

"Oh my God", exclaimed Ezreal exasperated.

"Exactly!", Ekko pointed his index figers at him. "That is how you're supposed to pronounce my name!", his eyes lit up like a neon sign.

Ezreal facepalmed.

"Alright.. Which one's mine?", he asked gesturing towards the beds.

Ekko was quick to get up and sit on the other bed.

"Not this one!", he shouted.

"Peachy", Ezreal agreed visibly irritated.

"You're gonna love it here", Ekko concluded with a not-so-subtle cunning smile on his face.


	40. Get Excited!

"Stop following me alright? Don't you have anything better to do?", Ekko rolled his eyes.

He remembered how he thought that Kayn was a grumpy fella when they first met. _But, oh boy, this guy takes the cake_.

"I would if I could! Aren't you the one who's supposed to show me around this place?", he yelled angrily.

"Ugh.. Whatever.. Just sit down and shut your mouth for once".

The two boys sat at a particularly large table in the school cafeteria. It fit at least eight people but right now it was just the two of them. Ezreal couldn't help but notice the weird looks they were getting from the other students.

"Are we expecting anybody?", he raised an eyebrow as he gestured towards the empty seats. Ekko remained silent as he fumbled with the wire on his headphones. "Do you want me to go get some food"?

Ekko let out a boisterous laugh making the number of weird looks they were getting increase at an alarming rate.

"Don't tell me Durrandal's cafeteria is self-service?", he wiped a single tear off his eye. "And you guys actually believe you're better than us!".

Ezreal perched his lips together annoyed but didn't say anything as Ekko ran his fingers through his mohawk. Which didn't budge by the way. Not in the slightest.  _How much gel and hairspray is in this thing anyway? Weird fashion choices._

Speaking of weird things..

Ezreal quickly scanned the room taking a peek at what the other students were up to. What intrigued him the most was how many.. weird people were actually there.  _Well. "People" is being used quite generously actually.. Short squirrels(?), a mermaid, a bug, a pink floaty octopus eye thing? What the hell is this place?! Please don't tell me we have to fight these things.. What's next? Vampires and werewolves?_

Ezreal noticed a cute couple.  _Now there's something normal_. They sat side by side eating their meals, completely mesmerized by eachother's presence.  _Aww.._  That was until he saw the feathers sticking through their backs and the cat-like ears under their hoods.  _So much for normalcy.._

"Dude. Dude", Ekko's words pierced violenty through his inner thoughts.

"Hmm.."?, Ezreal hummed.

"What are you having?", Ekko sighed pointing towards the waiter who was standing ominously above their heads.

"Ugh.. Same thing you got!", he answered politely. The waiter nodded and left with their orders.

Ekko clicked his tongue irritated.

"Stop copying me alright? Nobody likes copycats". Ekko picked up some silverware and pretended to drum on the table.

The entire room was bigger and cosier than the one he'd become accustomed to back in Durrandal's. Waitors in suits and white gloves were spread almost everywhere. The tablecloths seemed pretty expensive and even the tables were round, reminding Ezreal of a fancy restaurant.  _I guess there are more rich kids here.. that explains it._

Ezreal noticed the different uniforms the students wore. He saw some green, red, blue and pink jackets around the place. Just like their clubs.  _Right.. They must have their own._

"So which club are you in? I'm in the Battle Club", Ezreal flaunted proudly.

"Clubs? We don't do that here, whimp. Here we have Vagabonds, Renegades and Mystics. Oh. And the Vanguard. But no one really cares about the Vanguard. They're like super boring. Trust me on this one", Ekko said and Ezreal didn't have the intention or the will to disagree.

"So which one are you?", asked Ezreal, secretly wishing he wouldn't regret trying to strike up a conversation with his new roommate. _Gahh.. Kayn come pick me up bud. These freaks are seriously creeping me out._

Ekko gave him a mischievous smirk. A tiny spark lit up in his brown eyes.

"Why don't you take a guess"?

The boy took a few moments to consider his options.

"A renegade?", Ezreal eventually asked.

"Close enough but no. I'm a Vagabond".

"Somehow I'm not surprised", Ezreal taunted him raising his eyebrow smugly.

"Now, now.. you're just being mean", said Ekko yet a tiny smile crept in his lips.

Ezreal's gaze landed on an eerily beautiful girl with bright pink hair. She too had cat-like ears like the couple he'd noticed before. He also noticed the fluffy, brown tails behind her back. She was sitting at a nearby table. Her sole attention was on her phone that must have been integrated in her palms at this point. She didn't even give a second look to all the guys that were drooling over her left and right.

"Don't even think about it", Ekko said. "Ahri is way out of your league", he chuckled. Ezreal laughed nervously.

"Did you think..? I already have a girlfriend okay"?

Ekko scanned Ezreal with his eyes from top to bottom.

"Whatever you say pal", he replied clearly not buying his words.

"Hey! Are you implying I'm not pretty enough?!", Ezreal extended his arms out of frustration hitting a guy who happened to pass by them by accident. "Oh shit, sorry!", he quickly apologized.

He turned to see the boy he'd hit. It was a pale skinny guy with white hair and strange eyes. The only part of his eyes that was visible were his black irises.  _We might have to deal with vampires after all.._

The boy grunted. Without uttering a single word he kept on walking as if nothing ever occured.

"Phew.. That was close", Ekko said sweeping some imaginary sweat off his forehead.

"Who was that guy?", Ezreal cleared his throat and swallowed hard. Something about him made his stomach coil.

"That's Vlad. I think his dad is a Count or something?", he said in between sips of water. Ezreal furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Oh yeah.. Get used to it. Everyone here's someone important's sons and daughters". Ekko noticed that Ezreal's gaze hadn't left Vlad's back.

"Just leave him. Frankly, I won't be surprised if he turns out to be a school shooter. It's always the quiet ones", Ekko whispered that last sentence covering his lips with the back of his hand.

Food was finally here. Thankfully Ekko had simply ordered pasta. Ezreal was about to take a bite off of his plate when a loud bang was heard coming straight from the kitchens.

The alarm went off. Everyone around him was in a frenzy. Everyone except for the boy that sat at his table.

He saw a girl with long, blue, braided pigtails sprint through the kitchen with a spray can in her hand and a disturbing smile carved on her face. Smoke had filled the entire room and the staff behind her seemed too busy having a cough fit to chase after her.

But Ekko seemed completely cool with it as he took another bite. Ezreal was cool too.  _Right? So no worries._  He would just follow his lead.

The girl ran and sat right next to him as the sprinklers went off causing him to jump a little.

"My hair! It's ruined!", the girl with the pink hair he'd previously seen, shouted with pouted lips. A hoard of knights in shiny armors rushed to her aid, covering the girl with their jackets and satchels.

"Oh look at her..", the girl rolled her eyes as she hit Ezreal lightly on his side with her elbow. "She's such a loser! Always ready to cry".

"Hold it right there"! Security guards had spotted her across the room.

"Well. See ya!", she blew a kiss in Ekko's direction then went back to running. Ezreal heard her laughing as the doors closed behind her.

"What a psychopath", he mumbled under his breath.

"Isn't she awesome?", he saw Ekko sigh happily.

_Yep. Feels like the whole world's gone crazy.. Right on schedule._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! We've reached 40 chapters already? I just wanna thank everyone who's ever supported this story so far, both old and new readers alike! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read, comment and actually care about this fanfic. See you all in the next one!


	41. Veil

"Where's Ezreal?", Zoe shouted in front of their entire class.

Lux's eyes wandered around the room to find her classmates' curious faces. She wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to tell her. Ezreal's being in Doran's Academy was a secret as far as she knew. She just didn't know what to say. Especially after everyone was eyeing the two girls since Zoe seemed to be riled up for a fight.

"Just tell me where he is so I can smack him in the face myself! I'm sure you know! He may not have told me where he's going but I'm sure as hell he told you!", Zoe snapped.

Her cheeks were flaming red with anger, her veins visible in the middle of her forehead. Even her voice was trembling.

"Yeah little light. Why don't you tell this girl where that coward is?", Sylas chimed in out of the blue. Lux rolled her eyes.  _Jealousy really is a poison._

"Calm down Zoe", she said in a sincere voice. "Please"..

Zoe's initial wave of anger seemed to be somewhat subdued by her words. Lux sat up from behind her desk and took Zoe by the hand.

"Let's go outside", she suggested and the girl couldn't refuse to follow her.

"Where are you taking me?", she whined as Lux dragged her along.

"You'll see", the red-haired girl answered cryptically.

They were outside. The sun was hiding behind thick, grey clouds letting no light escape from them. It smelled like rain. It probably wouldn't take too long to pour.

The two girls sat down at the old bench. The wooden roof above their heads was sure to keep them safe if worst came to worst.

Luxanna sighed as she sat down. She was somehow irked by the fact that she was sharing this place with someone other than Ezreal. She could have sworn she could actually smell his unique, sweet musk in the air if she tried.  _When did I become so sentimental?_  She wondered.  _Damn it. Is it normal to miss him already?_

"Where's Ezreal? I need to talk to him", Zoe said.

Lux may not have known her all that well but this surely was the first time she sounded dead serious.

"Ez isn't here Zoe".

"Is that it? Is that all you have to say Luxanna?", Zoe furrowed her eyebrows. Electricity filled the atmosphere. "I'm not stupid so stop feeding me with that bullshit".

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to tell people where he is", admitted the girl.

Zoe glared with nothing but contempt in her eyes.

"So you DO know", she spat back at her. "I was just bluffing but I'm so glad you actually took the bait. I need him NOW. GIVE HIM TO ME"!

Luxanna took a shallow breath through her mouth as the girl in front of her begged like a spoiled child asking for candy.

"Give him to me..", Zoe's voice cracked. "I can't do this alone..", she covered her eyes with her tiny hands as she started to whimper.

"Do what alone? What is going on Zoe?", Lux used the sweetest shade of her voice as she lightly caressed Zoe's back.

"He's dying, he's dying, he's dying", mumbled the Aspect under her breath. Lux's eyes widened.

"Who's dying? What are you on about"?

"He's dying", she kept repeating as if she was chanting an exorcism.

Lux grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently. Zoe's mouth was agape as he hands fell to her sides. She looked terrified. Sleep deprived, eyes bawling and exhausted but mostly terrified. A fist made out of ice gripped Lux's heart at once and wouldn't let go.

"Snap out of it and tell me what's wrong!", Lux demanded.

"I-I-It's Kayn Luxanna! Kayn's dying!", she stuttered before she gave in to another round of slobbering tears. "And Ezreal's gone! And I have to go through this all alone"!

Luxanna froze in place.  _Kayn? Dying?_

"What the hell is going on?", her voice was steady.

"The Darkin Scythe. It's eating him up from inside out", she said clutching both of Lux's hands. "It's a curse! And I can't help him, YOU can't help him, NO ONE can!", she concluded. "But Ezreal.. he needs to know! He can at least be by his side"..

"Ezreal's in Doran's Academy", Lux sighed defeated. "He's been sent off there before all of us. But I'm going to be there too in a couple of days".

"Good. You need to tell him Luxanna! Tell him so I can whoop his ass when he gets back here"!

"I'll do what I can", Lux felt a knot forming in her throat. "Where's Kayn now? Is he in the infirmary?", she asked. Zoe shook her head.

"He's in Professor Zed's room. He's been taking care of him ever since..." Zoe couldn't finish her sentence off. She was about to break down right before her eyes when she felt her warm, delicate hands wrap around her waist.

"Don't leave me alone! Not you too! Please!", the girl begged with all of her strength.

"I'll help you", Lux said burying her face in her thick, floating hair. "I promise. Now let's go pay him a visit".

* * *

"How many more, Graves?", the two girls halted at Professor Zed's door before they even had the chance to knock.

Zoe somehow managed to muffle a surprised moan.

"I don't know what to tell you Zed", said a familiar raspy voice. "This isn't my doing".

"You've seen what the power of a Darkin can do before! Why are we still letting students go anywhere near them? Has the council completely lost their minds"?

Graves remained silent as the two girls held their breaths behind the door. Lux could feel her heart beat ten times faster as cold sweat stained her forehead. Instinctively, she held onto Zoe's hand.

"I don't exactly know who's in charge of these things..", Graves tried as an excuse.

"Then you'd better find out soon and fire them cause they suck at it"!

Zoe had never heard Professor Zed like this before. Her Battle Club mentor had always been calm and collected.

"What about Yuumi? Couldn't she retire the Darkin weapons from the library?", Zed continued.

"Do not speak of her that way", anger crept in Graves' tone. "You know that she was just a temp. All she could do was to hold on to the Morellonomicon".

"And she did a great job at that, didn't she?", Zed spat out the words like fire. The girls heard a gun clicking.

"You're stepping out of line now".

"I don't even know what I'm saying anymore", they heard the Faceless teacher mumble. "Look at my student Graves! Take a good look at him! I dare you. Watch over him as he's slowly becoming a monster".

Zoe swallowed hard as her and Luxanna exchanged worried looks. Lux could feel the girl squeezing her hand a bit tighter now. Graves sighed loudly.

"Anything new on the Principal's case?", Zed's voice sounded much more calm.

"I'm pretty sure I know who did it. I just don't know how just yet", Graves admitted.

"Are you still going on about the DuCuteau girl"?

Graves hummed affirmatively.

Luxanna bit her tongue so as not to let a gasp escape her lips. Zoe furrowed her brow, confused.

"But she was at the party that night! I saw her with my own eyes! You're being ridiculous Malcolm".

Images of the party flashed before Lux's eyes. She remembered the drunk Katarina. She had laughed so hard that night.. She was there with Ezreal and Garen.. And Kat.. She had so much fun too. She even tangoed with her brother.  _And it's true.. this wasn't very much like her._  But who was she to say that her friend wasn't allowed to have fun? Luxanna was so taken aback by her inner monologue that she barely even heard the heavy footsteps approaching their way.

"Get us out of here", she frantically whispered before she fell into a purple portal just to land in the pavilion once again.

"Katarina? She killed Principal Yuumi?", asked the girl with the floating hair.

"I- I don't know"..  _I don't know anything anymore._


	42. Forty-Two

"Fuck. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuck!", Ekko said as he kicked his bedpost.  _Should I even bother to ask what's up? I'm gonna regret it aren't I? Oh well.._

"So.. What's up?", Ezreal raised his eyebrows but his new roommate seemed to completely ignore his being there. Ezreal sighed loudly as Ekko kept kicking the bed.

"Hey hey! Cut it out. You're gonna break a leg or something!", he stood up and shoved him lightly. "Chill man".

"They.. took my shit!", Ekko explained.  _Or at least he tried to._

"Huh?", Ezreal exclaimed.

"You saw the other day right? At the cafeteria.. You know that girl with the blue hair? Well, she wanted to be a little naughty so.. I gave her a little push". He could have sworn he saw the boy blush a little.

"Yep. She seemed.."- Ezreal stopped for a moment as his eyes met with Ekko's angry glare- "perky. Yeah she seemed rather perky", he chuckled.

"Well, I gave her the equipment to do that mini-explosion.. It was so cool wasn't it?", Ekko's eyes glowed. "Anyway.. They figured out I gave it to her -I mean who else would have built something so awesome in this school, this thing had "Ekko" written all over it- and now.. everything's confiscated.. to say the least".

"What else is there?", Ezreal asked.

"Jinx asked me to get some more but.. I'm kind of grounded".

Ezreal couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

"You? The great Vagabond who answers to no one is grounded?", he knew he was being a little mean. But rightfully so. Ekko hadn't been the best host so far.

"Shut up". A few moments later the boy's eyes lit up as if he had an idea. "You".

"What about me?", he asked indifferently as he was sitting on his bed. Ekko walked up to him with a mischievous smile on his face. The Durrandal boy felt the need to cover himself with a blanket but he eventually refrained from doing so.

"W- What do you want?", he asked a bit taken aback. Ekko gave him a tight hug. A tad too tight of a hug. "I- I can't breathe", said Ezreal as he felt his lungs being almost crushed by his roommates strength.

"My good friend Jarro", Ekko put his hands over Ezreal's cheeks making his lips pout. "You said you could teleport didn't you.. I guess it's high time we put that gift of yours to good use.. Cause we're going to Zaun. Tonight".

Ezreal broke out of Ekko's firm hug.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. I'm not breaking the rules",  _Not again._

"Oh come on you blue-eyed muffin! I know you Demacians are known to abide by the law and all but would you please please please help a friend in need"?

At this point Ekko had fallen on his knees gripping onto the fabric of Ezreal's pants. He rolled his eyes.  _If only you knew buddy.._

"Since when am I considered your friend?", Ezreal laughed. "I thought you hated me".

Ekko lifted his chin towards him and stood up straight.

"Me?", he asked seemingly shocked. "Hate is a strong word Jarro.. Besides.. We're homies! We even live under the same roof!", he pleaded. "Just do me this one favor and I'll owe you one".

"Hmm", Ezreal hummed amused at the thought of having Ekko wrapped around his finger. "I guess I'll have to think about it", he smirked.

"Please", Ekko put his hands together in prayer. "I already stole a TP off the library! I just need you to get me out of the school's barrier so I can use it".

"TP?", Ezreal blinked. His hair were blocking his vision so he pushed them aside.

"A teleport spell", Ekko said. "The barrier blocks spells though. So first I need to get out of the Academy. Your power isn't a spell. Will you do it for me"?

Ekko gave him the puppy eyes. He looked like a little child.

"Fine", Ezreal huffed as Ekko started jumping around the room and hugging him (unfortunately) again.

* * *

Ezreal saw his body being consumed in purle shine. Unwittingly he closed his eyes. When he opened them up again he was no longer outside Doran's Academy.

Getting himself and Ekko out was admittedly quite easy. It just took a bit more mana than his usual arcane shift. Ezreal took a look around. _Zaun,_  he thought when he witnessed the perpetual smogged twilight of the city.

He had been to Zaun many times before. Most of his clients list came from here. The city was known for its black market and tolerance for pretty much everything Piltover was against. Some called it a strive for techonological progress, some others called it things people shouldn't mess with.

Most of the buildings looked old. Frozen in a time that electricity wasn't even thing. Yet it had somehow managed to find its place in the underground city, meters below Piltover.  _Steampunk vibes.._  What light reached below was filtered through fumes leaking from the tangles of corroded pipework and reflected from the stained glass of its industrial architecture. Stray pipes were everywhere. Neon signs illuminated the space.

Ezreal's eyes roamed around when he felt a hand blocking his way.

"Watch it", Ekko said and Ezreal realized he was about to fall down a drain he hadn't even noticed.

"Oh. Great reflexes", he commented.

Ekko chuckled.

"I know", he retorted smugly.

"What's with the paint job? You look like you snorted coke", Ezreal remarked pointing towards Ekko's head. The boy had painted a white hourglass shape starting from the top of his forehead and ending at the tip of his nose. He wore a red hoodie and baggy pants while he was carrying a black backpack but he didn't even bother to reply to Ezreal's question.

The boys turned left to find themselves in a murky alley. Thick fog was covering the entire area and Ezreal suddenly felt the need to cough. They were heading towards a black market area.  _Fuck._  Ezreal cursed and hoped they wouldn't come across anyone who knew his real self.

He was just wishing his fear wouldn't come to life.  _Why did I ever agree to this?_

Ekko waved at some kids. They seemed close to their age but their clothes were ragged and their feet bare. Their faces covered in smudges and charcoal.

"So where are we supposed to meet this "supplier" of yours?", he asked but Ekko immediately shushed him by raising his hand.

Under the glowing pink and blue lights he spotted him. A familiar figure. It was his class' president.

_I'm so fuckin' screwed right now, aren't I.._

"Did you get it?", Ekko asked. A wide smile carved on his lips.

"Stop looking so happy about it. You know I hate doing business with you", Jayce grumbled as Ezreal tried his best to cover his face by pulling his bangs over his eyes. "Hey!", shouted Jayce. "Who's your friend over there? Didn't I make it loud and clear that you were supposed to come here solo, Ekko"?

Ekko wrapped his arm around Ezreal's shoulders to bring him closer under the city light.

_Crap..! He's going to blow my cover! He'll realize it's me and I'm toast!_

"Come on! There's no reason to be shy!", Ekko told him loudly. "This man is a walking guarantee! I trust him with my life!", Ekko reassured Jayce. "You might know him too! Didn't you say you went to Durrandal's"?, Ekko asked him in a ridiculous attempt to convince Jayce of "Jarro's" reliability.

Jayce squinted his eyes.  _Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. He knows it's me! He knows it's me!_

His palms were so sweaty and his heartbeat was ringing in his ears. The whole scene felt too unreal. It was as if he had an out of body experience and the people talking simply acted out a scene that was coming out of one of the worst scenarios his mind had ever created.

"Lightfeather?", Jayce raised an eyebrow as Ezreal was still pulling his hair downwards.

"Y-yes?", stuttered Ezreal.

"At first I wasn't sure it was you but.. What the hell happened to your hair man?", he asked disgusted.

"Uhm.. Nothing!", Ezreal chuckled nervously. "I just thought I'd experiment a little.. You know! Like us teens do, am I right?", he awkwardly gave a light punch at Jayce's sturdy chest.

"...Right", a sarcastic tone crept in his voice.

_Whatever you do please don't say my name! Don't say my name! I beg of you! You mindless casanova! Don't fuck me up!_

Ezreal was hoping to somehow manage to covey these words to Jayce telepathically or something but to no avail.

"So..", Ezreal began talking nervously. "What is this? A side job? I'd heard you had a scholarship in Durrandal's.. so what's this about"?

"This is what's necessary", Jayce sighed. "For the future".

Ezreal stared confused. Jayce was actually serious for once. And he didn't show off his inventions and gadgets nor were there any girls around to faint over his presence. This was him.

"Yeah I know you guys are having a moment, but let's get back to business now. Do you have it?", Ekko chimed in.

Jayce opened up a bag and revealed a metalic device. The screws and bolts on it looked rusty but the crystal in the middle of it was emitting a feint light. He immediately recognized it as hextech technology. Ezreal had experimented with it a bit in the past. He was fascinated with the fact that hextech used both magic and manmade materials to work. It really felt like the best of both worlds.

"What's this?", he asked curiously.

"It's a hex grenade", Ekko smiled proudly.

"For the girl? Man you're hopeless", Ezreal remarked.

"Said the guy who's been chasing Luxanna Crownguard's skirt for a semester", Jayce cackled as Ezreal glared at him. "What? Did you really think no one noticed?", he shrugged indifferently.

This whole time Ekko's hands were buried inside his backpack.

"Here", he said in the end after he'd found what he'd been looking for.

What he came up with was another device. Completely different to Jayce's. It was clear to him that this was also hextech but that was pretty much it.

A siren was heard in the distance. Ekko's eyes widened.

"Run Ezreal!", Jayce yelled as all three of them started to run like maniacs. Him and Ekko were sprinting the same way while Jayce had gone towards the opposite direction.

"What did he call you?", Ekko shouted while he felt like his lungs were about to collapse. He pretended that he never heard what he said.

"This way!", the boy with the mohawk yelled and he followed him without questions. The sound of the sirens was defeaning as the police drew closer to them. Ekko leaped over a barbwire fence with ease while Ezreal simply shifted his way through. They were inside what seemed to be a junkyard. The two boys hid behind a pile of tractor tires gasping for air.

"Who called the cops? We're so unlucky man", Ekko whispered frustrated.

A bright light made them both cover their eyes with their elbows.

"Put your hands behind your backs and surrender. We have you in our sights", a female voice echoed through a speaker.

Ezreal grabbed Ekko's hand and teleported both of them to the other side of the junkyard. Ekko was fast to jump on to the fence and grab on tight when Ezreal heard a gun clicking behind his back. He quickly reached for Ekko's hand and got them out safely or so he thought.

Two police cars and a dozen of police officers were parked outside waiting for them. They saw a female cop with long, black hair and a riffle over her shoulders hold onto what seemed like a pair of metalic handcuffs between her fingers.

"Sorry boys.. I keep the fuzzy cuffs at home".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm... Forty-two... There's just something about that number!


	43. Chronobreak

"Lightfeather?", Jayce raised an eyebrow as Ezreal was still pulling his hair downwards.

"Y-yes?", stuttered Ezreal.

"At first I wasn't sure it was you but.. What the hell happened to your hair man?", he asked disgusted.

"Uhm.. Nothing!", Ezreal chuckled nervously. "I just thought I'd experiment a little.. You know! Like us teens do, am I right?", he awkwardly gave a light punch at Jayce's sturdy chest.

"...Right", a sarcastic tone crept in his voice.

_Hmm.. That's weird I feel like I've already had this coneversation before.._

"So..", Ezreal began talking nervously. "What is this? A side job? I'd heard you had a scholarship in Durrandal's.. so what's this about"?

"This is what's necessary", Jayce sighed.  _For the future._  "For the future".

 _Ok I've definetely had this conversation before._. Ezreal squinted his eyes as he looked over to Ekko.

"Yeah I know you guys are having a moment, but let's get back to business now. Do you have it?", Ekko said.

Jayce opened up a bag and revealed a metalic device. The screws and bolts on it looked rusty but the crystal in the middle of it was emitting a feint light. He immediately recognized it as hextech technology.

"What's this?", he asked curiously.

"It's a hex grenade", Ekko explained as sweat dripped from his hairline and onto his forehead messing up the hourglass shape drawn on his face.

"For the girl? Man you're hopeless", Ezreal chuckled.

"Said the guy who's been chasing Luxanna Crownguard's skirt for a semester", Jayce cackled as Ezreal glared at him. "What? Did you really think no one noticed?", he shrugged indifferently.

Ekko reached into his backpack in a hurry.

"Here", he said in the end after he'd found what he'd been looking for.

What he came up with was another device. Completely different to Jayce's. It was clear to him that this was also hextech but that was pretty much it.

A loud siren was heard in the distance.

"Run Ezreal!", Jayce yelled as all three of them started to run like maniacs. Him and Ekko were sprinting the same way while Jayce had gone towards the opposite direction.

"Who's Ezreal?", Ekko asked but the boy pretended that he didn't hear a word of what he said.  _Crap._

"This way!", Ekko yelled as they took a left turn only to come across a police roadblock. "Shit", Ekko whispered under his breath as he opened his backpack an pulled a string hastily.

* * *

"Lightfeather?", Jayce raised an eyebrow as Ezreal was still pulling his hair downwards.

"Y-yes?", stuttered Ezreal.

"At first I wasn't sure it was you but.. What the hell happened to your hair man?", he asked disgusted.

"Uhm.. Nothing!", Ezreal chuckled nervously. "I just thought I'd experiment a little.. You know! Like us teens do, am I right?", he awkwardly gave a light punch at Jayce's sturdy chest.

"...Right", a sarcastic tone crept in his voice.  _What the hell is happening?_

"So..", Ezreal said. "What is this? A side job? I'd heard you had a scholarship in Durrandal's.. so what's this about"?  _Why do I feel like I'm repeating myself?_

"This is what's necessary", Jayce sighed. "For the future".

Ezreal glanced over at Ekko.

"What are you looking at?", Ekko asked irritated. Only then did he realize that the boy was panting. He looked as if he'd been running a marathon. Soaked in beads of sweat.

"Nothing.. Just had a deja-vu", Ezreal answered confused as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand.

Ekko raised his eyebrows with wide eyes.

"Just hand over the device", he commanded Jayce.

"Manners", Jayce commented sarcastically but reached into his bag to reveal a metallic device. It looked very much like hex technology with a glowing crystal in its center.

"What's this?", he asked curiously.

"Hex grenade", Ekko replied as he gasped for air. He started searching his backpack thoroughly.

"For the girl? Man you're hopeless", Ezreal chuckled.

"Said the guy who's been chasing Luxanna Crownguard's skirt for a semester", Jayce cackled as Ezreal glared at him. "What? Did you really think no one noticed?", he shrugged indifferently.

"Here", Ekko said in the end after he'd found what he'd been looking for.

A loud siren was heard in the distance.

"Run Ezreal!", Jayce yelled as all three of them started to run like maniacs. Ekko grabbed Ezreal by his wrist and the three boys ran together.

"Don't follow me!", Jayce growled but Ekko wouldn't listen.

"This is the only route I haven't taken", he answered cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?", Ezreal asked as he kept running for dear life.

"You'll thank me later!", Ekko laughed as Jayce led them towards a basement and into a rusty elevator.

The doors slided with a screeching noise as the three boys rapidly breathed in and out with their hands on their knees. Jayce pressed a button and they started to descend further. Ezreal felt his stomach tumble as the machine came to life.

"You're not supposed to be here!", Jayce said angry. The look in his eyes gave him chills.

"Relax", Ekko replied nonchallantly with a hand over his shoulder. "We're not here to meddle in your business".

Jayce hufffed visibly annoyed.

"Just stick around until the raid is over. Then get out of my way", he said ominously as the doors opened with a ding.

The boys stepped into a dimly lit corridor. The temperature was low. Way too low, Ezreal thought as he noticed the clouds his breathing was creating in the atmospere. He unwillingly crossed his arms touching his shoulders.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Jayce paced himself ahead of them leading the way. The white lights flickered sinisterly as the boy grabbed an iron door by the handle.

He didn't expect to see what he saw. In the middle of the huge room, Ezreal came across a silver surgical table. Right next to it there was a smaller table filled with drills, scalpels, scissors and other kind of tools that Ezreal couldn't quite recognize.

Balls of cotton and used needles were scattered all around the already dirty floor. Cages of varying sizes filled the space. Tiny, peculiar creatures with glowing eyes clawed themselves onto the metal bars dragging their shackles along with them as they desperately moaned for freedom.

The worst part was the foul smell in the air. It was a mixture of chemicals along with the horrible stench of decomposure. Ezreal scrunched his nose.

And then there was the sound.

He fought the urge to cover his ears with his hands to make their screeching voices stop.

 _What is this place?,_  he asked himself as he and Ekko exchanged worried looks. The two of them watched as Jayce moved comfortably around the place.

"In the back", a raspy male voice said from the adjacent room. Ezreal heard heavy footsteps coming their way along with the cries of what sounded like a wounded beast.

A few moments later they saw a man that looked to be in his fifties or sixties wearing a bloody apron. His head was completely bald. A white gauze mask was covering his mouth. He furrowed his eyebrows as Jayce slightly raised his hand in a greeting.

"Who are these people?", he yelled with his fists on his waist.

"There's a raid outside Singed. They ..uh -they're my clients. They'll leave in a bit. This won't take long I promise", Jayce tried to convince the man but he didn't seem that confident anymore. If nothing else, he looked too anxious with his hands together as if he was begging for his permission.

"I told you to never bring anyone down here"! The vains in his face were pulsating.

"They won't say anything about this! I can guarantee that", Jayce gulped nervously but his voice sounded steady and reassuring.

"By the time I'm back I want them out".

Ezreal held his breath as Singed sprinted across the room and ultimately past him. The door closed behind him with a loud thud as he exited the room. He could see the cold sweat on Jayce's face. For the first time he wasn't his usual cocky self.

"Who is he?", Ekko almost whispered once the three of them were the only people standing in the room. Jayce walked towards the back room and the boys followed silently.

This one was smaller. There was a blackboard filled with equations and smudges. The floor underneath was covered in white chalk dust while posters of chemical elements and components were hanging on the walls. A large desk filled with papers, test tubes, tongs and racks caught Ezreal's attention.

He saw the sketch of a human with lines and notes scribbled on it. He made out the words "Subject No:626" and "augmentations" written in pencil.

Ekko was quick to get behind the desk and perch himself on the worn out leather chair and rested his legs on a pile of books.

"Hey cut that out", Jayce scolded him.

"Are you gonna tell us who he is now?", Ekko asked with his hands at the back of his head.

"He's.. a doctor".  _What a half assed explanation._

Ezreal chuckled as the image of the malformed test subjects of the adjacent room came to mind.

"Right.. I don't believe that man's ever been to medical school", he raised an eyebrow.

"Same here", Ekko agreed moving his feet rhythmically.

"I'm doing you a favor just by bringing you here. Now get your feet off of there"! Jayce kicked Ekko's feet off the pile of books causing them the scatter all around the floor.

"Look what you made me do now", Ekko whined as Ezreal stooped to pick some of the books back up. By doing so, he spotted a thin line. He traced it with his index finger. It was a trap door.

The other two were still bickering when he lifted the lid. He heard a loud howl and chains being dragged but it was too dark for him to see what was in there. Jayce rushed to close the door but Singed had returned before he even had the chance to do so.

"What are you doing?! Get the hell out of my lab!", the "Doctor" screamed erratically.

"What is this thing?", Ezreal demanded to know pointing to the trap door with his bare hand while he charged up his gauntleted one with his palm faced towards the bald man.

His thin lips turned upwards.

"It's my masterpiece", he retorted full of pride.

"We're leaving now", Jayce tapped him on the shoulder but Ezreal was adamant.

"There's no reason for them to go now. They must see", his dead eyes sparked.

The boy stood still as the scientist fetched a supposed guinea pig from the other room. He had even brought a flashlight with him. Gently he lifted the lid and dropped it inside. Its high pitched scream was quickly interrupted and silenced as it was almost instantly devoured by.. something.

Ezreal didn't understand what this was even as he stood above the trap door. It looked very much like a wolf. Its teeth were huge and razor sharp. Its claws abnormal. Even for a beast. Its eyes glowed red. Hungry for blood. It let out a growl asking for more.

The image of Principal Yuumi in her hospital bed flashed before his eyes. Bitemarks. She was nearly killed then. She had fought for her life. And then someone had actually succeeded. Ezreal could feel his heart beating fast as Singed laughed hysterically. His gauntlet was glowing brighter with every second.

"Yuumi", he whispered.

"How do you know that name?", Singed asked. A hint of fear crept in his tone. He was no longer laughing.

Ezreal fired a mystic shot on the ceiling, opening a large hole above their heads.

"That was a warning shot", he threatened him. "What did you do to her?!", he shouted. He was no longer thinking straight.

"Take it easy man", Ekko tried to help him cool off by touching him on the shoulder but he shook his arm off.

Singed raised his hands in surrender and began to whimper as he was rocking his body back and forth.

"The pale one. The pale one. They pale one made me do it", he chanted repeatedly.

"Who's the pale one?", Ezreal asked without letting his guard down.

"It was the pale one", Singed kept repeating manically as if he'd lost his mind completely.

"What is going on man?", Ekko asked in a shaky voice.

Singed jumped onto Ezreal in a desperate act. His reflexes were fast as he arcane shifted right through his unsteady grip causing him to fall directly into his hell hole.

The three boys looked at eachother with wide eyes and mouths agape. Singed's screams echoed in the small chamber as he was being mauled and slowly devoured by his own creation. All they could see was a pair of shining scarlet eyes.

"Please!", begged the man. Ezreal fired a mystic shot going for the mercy kill. His screams halted. But that didn't change the fact that he still felt sick to his stomach.

* * *

He shoved Jayce into a wall as soon as the three of them walked out of the lab. His elbow stuck against the boy's throat.

"This is your side job? Being an errand boy for a nutjob scientist? Seriously"!? He yelled half mad and half still recovering from the initial shock of their discovery.

He scoffed, letting go of a Jayce who didn't even flinch. His shirt was now full of ripples.

"No wonder why Katarina hates your guts", he spat on the ground backing away from him.

"You have no clue what you're talking about", Jayce pushed him away with his shoulder as he walked off like nothing had ever happened merely minutes ago.


	44. Miracle Worker

"Your flesh, your guts and even your bones shall be consumed to fuel my ambitions!", he daclared with a malicious grin plastered upon his face. "Let the feast begin!", he laughed hysterically clutching onto the metallic object.

"Please..", the other one begged trying to cover his eyes with his fingers.

"The first sacrifice I shall accept is.. you!", he said with fire in his eyes.

"Ekko".

"What is it Jarro"?

"Could you perhaps eat a little more quietly?", Ezreal raised an eyebrow. "You're disturbing the other customers".

Ekko took a look around the dimly lit diner. Almost everyone had been staring. Mouths agape. One of them even drooled all over his chin gawking at him.

"I did get a little carried away there, didn't I?", the boy whispered with a shy smile.

"A little?", Ezreal sighed embarassed.

Ekko simply shrugged his shoulders as he took a bite of his dinner. Ezreal couldn't understand how the boy even had an apetite. All he knew was that he'd lost his. After everything that had happened.

The diner was located in an extremely notorious neighbourhood in Zaun. But thankfully the police raid was finally over and things had gone back to normal. Well. Normal for Zaun's standards. The two boys had even come across a red light district. Young women dressed provocatively invited them inside their.. businesses. Ezreal saw a truly gorgeous woman with long white hair. She had a kind smile as she playfully touched his shoulder trying to convince him to be her client.

"Yes, it's true. For only 2.95 a minute, I will leave you breathless", she'd promised with a wink but the boys quickly walked away.

Ezreal stared thoughtfully out the window. His blue eyes were fixed on a broken street light. He watched it flicker while moths and mosquitos had gathered around it. Just when he believed that it would never light up again, it did.

"You did the right thing", Ekko said breaking his train of thought. "Just saying", he added with a mouthful of chicken nuggets.

Ezreal huffed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"It doesn't feel that way..", he mumbled under his breath as Ekko was chugging down a glass of water.

"Don't think about it. That guy was a psychopath", he punched the table lightly. "I don't even want to imagine what Jayce was doing with him".

"Tonight was the weirdest night in a long time", Ezreal said biting the skin around his fingernails. "I think I need a smoke".

"Hold your horses right there Demacian. I thought you were supposed to be prim and proper", Ekko sniggered licking his greasy fingers. "By the way.. Why did he call you Ezreal"?

 _Think Ez think! You can't let him blow your cover. Remember why you're here._  Letting down Professor Graves once again just wasn't an option.

"Ahh. That.. That's my nickname", he tried to reply as indifferently as he could. "Where did "Ezreal" come from though? I'd nickname you Jay-El or something. Yep. Jay-El has a nice ring to it", he patted himself on the back.

"Eh.. It's an ancient Shuriman word. It means miracle worker". Where do I even come up with these things..

Ekko scrunched his nose.

"So you're supposed to be a miracle worker", he said satirically.

"Kinda?", Ezreal raised his hands with a sly yet awkward grin.

"I think imma go with Jay-El", he said as he took another bite.

"You do that", he replied relieved.

* * *

_What am I supposed to do..._

Lux wondered as she stared out the window resting her chin on her hand. She let out a small sigh.

"You good?", Katarina asked her. They were sitting next to eachother in the minivan on their way to Doran's Academy for the gifted.

"Yep. I'm fine", she gave her friend a convincing fake smile before she went back to her actual gloomy self.

The possibility that Katarina might have actually killed their former principal had been deeply instilled in her brain, nagging her like an annoying fly.

"What did Graves want?", she asked indifferently.

_What did he want huh.._

Professor Graves had called her to his office just before their departure.

The girl hesitantly knocked on his office door three times precisely.

"Come in", a deep voice said and she obeyed blindly.

"Professor? Did you want to talk to me?", she asked with her staff hanging over her shoulder.

"I do", he replied as he put out a brown cigar.

Lux took a seat in front of his desk. His ashtray was overflowing with cigars and a bottle of whiskey was placed right next to it half empty.

"I know you are aware of Shieda's.. condition so I need to ask something really important of you".

Lux stared at her boots with her hands gripping tight at her staff.

 _Condition? Is that what he calls being a living dead?_  Kayn had remained in a magic induced coma for a little less than a week now. She visited with Zoe a few times. And what she saw was a lot worse than what she initially had in mind. In the beginning, she believed that Zoe was exaggerating things. Kayn couldn't have been dying..  _right?_  She wasn't. Day after day Kayn's body was giving in to the Darkin inside of him.

The last time she went to see him she noticed black mauld forming on the tips of his still normal fingers. His lips were white and his face pale. Sweat covered his entire face and the area around his neck. He was losing the battle.

Zoe was staring at Kayn's lifeless body with pouted lips. But she had to be the strong one for her sake. She didn't want to cry in front of her. She was there to support her after all. Not to turn into a sobbing mess herself. When they were leaving, Lux stayed behind to confront Professor Zed.

"Professor. I know you don't want to say what's going on in front of Zoe, but I can handle the truth", she reassured him. "Will he make it?", her voice cracked as she expressed her question but she tried to stay seemingly calm.

Zed crossed his arms. "I don't know", he admitted with a huff. "Only time will tell".

"Yes. I'm aware of Kayn's condition", Lux answered Professor Graves' question with determination.

"I want you to keep it a secret from Lightfeather. Lymere.", he corrected himself. His eyes looked as if they were made out of glass. This man wouldn't take no for an answer. That much was certain.

"Why?", she demanded to know. She had a promise to keep. She had persuaded Zoe that she would tell him. And Ezreal didn't deserve to be kept in the dark about his friend's potential death either.

Graves sighed.

"Isn't it obvious? Those two are joined at the hip. Even I can tell. If he finds out, he will want to come back and we can't have that. We sent him there to do a job. And that's exactly what he's going to do".

"Right", Lux raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms and stretched her legs out in front of her. "So what happens when Ezreal returns and starts looking for his perhaps already dead best friend?", she asked cockily before adding "Sir".

"Phew. What's up with that attitude Crownguard? You've surely spent a lot of time around Lymere. And he doesn't seem to have that great of an influence on you".

Lux froze. This was the first time in her life she was being actually scolded by a teacher. She had always been a model student. Hesitantly, she pulled her legs back under her seat.

"Don't. Tell him.", Professor Graves demanded with his index finger stretched out to her. "That's an order".

Lux was taken aback by her own thoughts.

"You still there?", asked Katarina waving her hand right in front of her.

"Ofcourse silly!", she flashed her teeth as usual.

"So what did Graves want?", she repeated her question.

"Oh you know.. he just wanted me to tell you guys he sends his good luck and his heart is with us even though he couldn't be here".

Katarina puffed out blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"Graves actually said that..?", the pink-haired girl questioned her answer.

Lux hummed affirmatively as she stared out her window once again.

_What am I supposed to do now.._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter feels like a filler to me but the next one will be a big one I promise *evil laughter*


	45. Reignite

"The welcoming commitee has really given it their all this time 'round", Ekko commented on the school gym's fancy decorations.

The theme had been a winter garden. They stepped under a huge balloon arch filled with blue, silver and whites.

A large banner was set opposite the entrance welcoming the Durrandal Academy students. The walls were filled with all sorts of snowflake shapes. Some were even floating in the room fuelled by magic. The two boys were a little bit late for the party. Not that Ezreal was in any mood to have fun but he knew that seeing Lux was a surefire way to cheer him up. Even just a little bit.

Him and Ekko had sat down on two stools in the shape of ice cubes close to a rich buffet. Ekko looked good in a tux. Despite giving it his own personal twist. He stood tall in his glorious mohawk as he toyed with the silver chains he had added to his garment.

Ezreal was excited to see Lux again after what seemed like a lifetime ago. His only selfish thought being the wish that she would like his new hair colour. And perhaps he could hold her in his arms for a little. Regardless of her brother's fuming glares.

And above all that, he knew what he'd been sent here to do. Watch over Katarina DuCuteau. He had decided he wouldn't let her out of his sight. _No more mistakes. Not this time._

He couldn't help but stare at the entrance with his neck stretched out. Searching for some familiar faces in a sea of strangers. His palms were soon to turn sweaty as Ekko was going on and on about something he didn't care.  _And I'm supposed to be the one who talks too much.._  He scoffed at the thought.

At first, he hadn't even heard the question.

"Hey", a female voice cut through his thoughts mercilessly. She had even snapped her fingers at him.

"Sorry my mind was elsewere", he said averting his gaze from the entrance for a moment.

He was surprised to find Ahri flexing all of her nine tails on him as she playfully drooped her catlike ears.

"I said: Aren't you from Durrandal's Academy?", she asked in what was supposed to be a seductive tone.

"Oh. Yeah. I am.", he responded mechanically.

He could see Ekko choking on some food with eyes wide open from his peripheral vision. A second later, his blue eyes were once again fixed on the double doors as Ahri was probably saying something. He simply nodded and said "damn that's crazy", whenever he felt like his response was necessary to carry on this meaningless conversation.

"Did you even listen to a single word I said?", an irritated voice said.

"Damn that's crazy", he responded once again without realizing. He was met with a furious glare. Her delicate hands planted on her sides. "I mean-", Ezreal coughed trying to buy some time as he searched for Ekko's eyes for help.

The only thing Ekko did was to trace an invisible zipper over his lips with a conceited smile.  _You little bastard._

He took a moment to needlessly clear his throat again. "Ahri.. was it?", he asked shyly.

The corner of her lips turned to form a coy smile.

"You know my name?", she asked flashing her porcelain white teeth. "I don't think I've introduced myself yet". The girl took a step closer. Way too close.

Ezreal felt the heat of his blood rising to dangerous levels as she played with some strands of his own hair.

"Right..", his cheeks turned into a rosy pink.

He stood up trying to get as far from her as possible till his back reached the wall. Her eyes were bright yellow. Like umber. Her pupils vertical. Much like a feline's. She pressed her leg between his thighs. The former thief could feel the cold sweat staining his forehead as he swallowed hard. _Dude snap out of it,_  he commanded himself.

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. The blue crystal on his gauntlet shone under the light projectors.

"Ekko told me your name the other day it's no big deal", he chuckled.

"But I think it is", she said in a nasal voice. "If you asked for my name.. That means you saw something you were interested in", she winked.  _Goddamnit she's cute._

"What's going on here?", asked a buffy guy. He was at least two Ezreals in height.  _Crap._

Ahri scoffed backing away from Ezreal.

"It's called public relations sweety. But I'm not so sure you know what that means", she responded irritated.

"That's not what it looks like to me", his eyebrows furrowed as he clenched his fists.

"Nothing's happening this is just a misunderstanding", Ezreal said but the guy completely ignored his answer.

He searched for Ekko only to realize that he was nowhere to be found.  _Son of a bitch bailed on me!_

"Darius you have no right to barge into my personal life! It was a one time thing! Get over it", she said calmly shrugging her shoulders.  _Yeah.. It doesn't look like this gorilla is gonna budge much Ahri.._

Fat fingers closed around his throat. He desperately tried to shoo them away with his hands but it was no use. He felt his feet slowly being lifted off the ground as he was trying to take a breath. His back rubbed against the cold wall.

"Darius", a husky voice said and he was immediately released from his tight grasp.

He straightened his clothes as he tried to pick himself off the floor. An open palm entered his line of vision and Ezreal couldn't refuse a helping hand.

"Thanks man", he said to the boy who helped him back up. He was greeted with a kind smile.

"No problem", the boy said.

"This was just a huge misunderstanding", Ezreal sighed. His mind was numb with embarassment as soon as he noticed all eyes on him.

The boy chuckled.

"I'm sure. Darius can be a bit thick skulled at times. But he's a good lad", he assured him.

"Allow me to doubt that", he replied sarcastically making the boy laugh. "And you are"?

"I'm Jarvan", he offered his handshake. "I assume you're Jarro Lightfeather"?

"Yep. Well thanks for saving me Jarvan", he said as he shook his warm hand.

"No worries. Nice meeting you", he said as he walked away.

Ezreal stared at his broad shoulders impressed as he leaned over the buffet table. There was a certain dignity in this boy that had really won him over. Even Darius had stopped choking him with a single word.

"I see you're already making connections", Ekko said back at his side, trying to muffle his laughter.

Ezreal glared furious.

"Thanks for nothing", he scoffed.

"I'm not messing with Darius. Sorry bud. Good thing J4 was around. Phew", he said.

"Who was that guy?", Ezreal asked wanting to know more about his savior. Ekko blinked as he held onto a red plastic cup.

"Are you shitting me right now? How can you not know!?", his mouth was agape.

"Should I?", Ezreal scratched his chin.

Ekko leaned into his ear. "That's the son of the King of Demacia", he whispered making his ear tingle.

"Really?", he raised an eyebrow. Ekko simply nodded affirmatively.

_I guess that explains why Darius listened to him.._

"Are you really from Demacia?", Ekko eyed him suspiciously.

"Uhh.. Yeah..", Ezreal said awkwardly. "I'm just not that into politics", he tried to brush his comment off like it was no big deal.

"I think your guys are here", Ekko nodded at the entrance.

"Where?", he asked frantically searching for Lux's face.

He had spotted her almost instantly.  _She's beautiful._

It felt like all the other faces surrounding her small frame were blurred. There was no one for him in this room, other than this girl. Her crimson hair, shook lightly as she paced herself with confidence. His heart skipped a beat as she gave him a bright smile. Their blue eyes locked onto eachother. He couldn't stop himself.

He sprinted across the room. Warmth filled his insides as his arms were wrapped tightly around her delicate body. Her sweet scent reached his nostrils and he felt dizzy. He was like a drug addict who had finally gotten his fix as he planted a tender kiss on the girl's forehead. The only reason he broke away from her was to take a good look at her. She was exactly as his image of her in his mind. Maybe even better.

"Ah..", he sighed theatrically. "I've missed you", he said brushing her hair away from her pale face.

Luxanna smiled shyly. "You too..", she said looking up at him.

"Ugh.. Get a room you two", Katarina scoffed.

Ezreal saw her standing next to a visibly irritated Garen. He could tell that he didn't approve of what was happening but right now he really didn't care. He knew what he wanted. Too bad that it was this particular guy's sister.  _Fuck. My. Luck._

Garen rolled his eyes and mingled with the rest of the crowd. Lux ruffled Ezreal's hair with a smile.

"What the hell did you do to your hair? I didn't even recognize you at first", she teased then gave him a crooked smile.

Ezreal leaned over her ear and whispered "that's classified" then winked playfully. Lux gave him a light punch on the shoulder and he proceeded to pretend it hurt a lot more than it actually did.

"Ow!", he stroked his arm at the point of impact. "What was that for?", he asked with a grin on his face.

"For leaving me without notice", she pouted her lips.

"Oh come on.. You know I had no say in this. Don't be mad at me", he said closing up the space between them almost entirely. He could feel her warm breath on his lips.

Lux pushed him away with just the tips of her fingers.

"So what do you think?", he asked flicking his hair. "Do I still look as hot as you remember"?

The punch that hit him this time was a bit rougher, making him laugh even louder than before.

"You're unbelievable", she chuckled.

"Is that a bad thing?", he taunted her playfully.

"Ez- Jarro!", she corrected herself mid-syllable then covered her mouth with both hands.

"If that name is too difficult to pronounce-", he whispered, "-you can call me honey".

Lux crossed her arms over her stomach.

"Or I can call YOU honey!", he said as if he had just uttered the best idea he ever had.

Lux raised an eyebrow.

"Is it too soon"?

The girl huffed.

"It's too soon", he decided in the end.

"Where are the drinks?", Katarina whined.

"I can go fetch the drinks. You want anything Lux?", his back was already facing the girls.

"Nah. I'm good", she waved her hand negatively.

When he returned Lux was having a casual chat with the Prince of Demacia in all his glory.  _Wow.. Rich people really do have connections.._

Katarina was absolutely thrilled when he handed the red cup over to her. He could have sworn she had never seemed this happy to see him before.  _Maybe Neeko's act wasn't that far fetched after all,_  he mused.

"Seems like your picket fence is crumbling already", Ezreal ignored Garen's snarky remark as the two boys observed the Prince and the Lady. He suddenly felt something irk him. Gnawing his brain.

He took a step towards them but Garen tried to stop him.

"Stay in your lane", he warned him but he simply pushed his hand away and walked over to the them.

"Hey Jarvan", he greeted the Prince as if they were equals.

"Jarro! Do you guys know eachother already?", Lux asked awkwardly.

"Sure we do!", he placed his arm over Jarvan's shoulders. The boy didn't even flinch. "We go waaaay back!", he stared far into the distance as if he was trying to recall his non-existent memories with the Demacian successor. Jarvan let out a boisterous laugh.

"He's joking. Obviously", he raised a hand to free himself from Ezreal's arm. "Well, it was nice seeing you again Luxanna. I'll leave you to talk with your friend", he gestured towards Ezreal then waved a quick goodbye.

For some reason he felt triggered when he heard the word "friend".  _I mean sure.._  Him and Lux had never confirmed the fact that they're in a relationship but did they really needed to? At this point? He clenched his fist as the word "friend" echoed in his mind once again.

"You've got some pretty powerful allies there Luxanna", Ezreal teased her. Lux opened up her mouth to reply when he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"I gotta go. They're gonna call us on stage pretty soon", said Ekko then he faced their entire group. "They're gonna call you guys up as well. Better get ready", he smirked. "See ya later Jay-El", he patted him on his back before walking away.

"I see you've already adapted to your new surroundings", Lux chuckled. "It seems like you've even made new friends".

"Oh. You mean Ekko? Nah. He's just my roommate here. Don't tell Kayn though. Things get pretty ugly when he gets jealous. He's pretty possesive", he laughed.

Lux let out an awkward little chuckle.

"Yeah, you're probably right", she said. A huge light was turned on stage. "I think it's starting".

"Mesdames et messieurs, I would like everyone's attention for a short moment, s'il vous plait", headmistress Fiora said as her mic made a sreaking sound making her sneer.

She blew over it then tapped it a few times to make sure it was now working properly. Next to her, stood their very own Principal Crownguard. Her posture was straight. Her hair falling gently over her shoulders. It was though one of those rare times her smile seemed actually genuine.

"Alright then.. Allons-y", Fiora smiled at the gathered crowd.

Ezreal noticed that other than students and professors some parents had bothered to attend this party as well. Ezreal felt like a fish out of water. These people were probably important. And he couldn't recongize any of them.

"First of all, I would like for all of you to give a warm round of applause for our guests of honour! The Durrandal God-Weapon Academy's Club representatives and their esteemed Principal, Miss Tianna Crownguard". Fiora shoved the microphone under her armpit clapping her hands together along with the crowd. Tianna bowed her head with her hand over her heart expressing her gratefulness.

"We have an important announcement to make". A nervous yet infectious smile was carved on Fiora's lips. The audience was dead silent.

"Both Academies firmly believe that in this day and time we live in people have forgotten a value of high significance. All of our students strive for greatness. All of you-", she gestured vaguely towards the people under the stage "-want to be the very best. And we admire that. But we must always bare in mind that none of us is as strong as all of us".

Ezreal and Lux exchanged a quizzical look as Katarina huffed exasperated right behind them.

"To ensure that this becomes a memorable lesson to all of you we have decided that this year the tournament will not be consisted of duels between each school's champions".

Murmurs spread across the room like fire, becoming increasingly louder with every second.

"We do not need a sole victor. We've had plenty of them. This year we are to reward teamwork and unity. That is why this year's tournament will have only one special event: A fair fight 4v4".

The chatter volumes had skyrocketed as Miss Fiora politely asked them to be quiet. She grabbed Principal Crownguard's hand and raised it above their heads.

"May the best team win!", she said enthusiastically as the people cheered. "Now welcome Draven, President of the student council for the introduction of our champions"! The two Principals stepped down as Draven picked up the mic.

A bright, menacing smile graced his lips. His eyebrow was sliced in half by a thick scar.

"Is this thing on?", his deep voice echoed throughout the room. "Here we go. I know you guys are probably upset that they sabotaged me and I'm not a champion in this tournament".. The crowd booed. "I get it, I get it. You guys are sweet. Let's introduce our champions first! But still.. we all know no one's better than Draven", he commented.

Four students got up on stage.

"Make some noise for Doran's Academy's champions"! Thundering applause filled the room as the four representatives showed up on stage.

The first one Ezreal recognized was Ahri, then Ekko. He was the Vagabond champion and he had no clue this whole time!  _You'd think he could have mentioned it at some point, right? Little shit._

Ahri was the Renegade. Next to her, Jarvan looked modest and serious as the Vanguard representative. And last but not least, the boy with the white hair Ezreal had seen in the cafeteria.  _Vlad I think his name was.._  Champion of the Mystics.

People couldn't hide their enthusiasm as their champions took small bows. Ahri winked at the audience causing even more chaos among the boys. For the most part.

"Yeah, yeah", said Draven unimpressed. "I mean really.. look at these losers. Which one of these is better than freaking Draven, am I right"?

Someone tapped him on his shoulder telling him and the others to move towards the stage. He felt a strange feeling deep in his stomach. _Come on Ez, now is not the time to get stage fright!_

He walked up the small staircase behind Garen. He didn't expect it but Draven seemed to have done his research on all of them as he introduced them to the audience by full name. Thankfully, when the time had come he had said "Jarro Lightfeather" instead of "Ezreal Lymere".

"Anyway.. As you can see there's nothing impressive here either", Draven sighed dramatically. "Clearly there was no match for Draven, so they had to ban me I guess", the audience laughed wholeheartedly. They actually seemed to love this obnoxious guy.

"Whatever", he rolled his eyes theatrically. "Draven out", he said as he dropped the mic on the floor and walked off, leaving all eight champions standing there awkwardly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is probably the longest chapter and I'm sorry I didn't have time to update any sooner but as the story reaches its climax I feel the need to be extra careful not to fuck this up and create bigger chapters. Once again thanks to every single one of you, I really appreciate your support and commentary! See you in the next one!


	46. Arcane Arts

"Okay, okay. That's enough. This teamwork thing clearly isn't working!", Katarina ruffled her long, pink hair in frustration.

It was true. The tournament was in two weeks and the Academies had allowed both teams to train privately in order to come up with a strategy that combined their greatest idividual strengths.

"Guys please.. We have to try", Lux tried to encourage them as she wiped some stray droplets of sweat off her forehead.

"You can try all you want Luxanna! I'm sure you don't mind being paired with your boyfriend", she gestured over to Ezreal. Him and Lux had been sparing together when they weren't target practising. Katarina huffed out. "I refuse to work with beyblade over here!", she shouted as Garen was swirling his huge sword around. He didn't even stop when he heard what she said.

"Well. Perhaps he lacks technique", Ezreal sniggered.

"Technique?", echoed Katarina irritated. "This guy is just spinning around! What are we supposed to do in the match? Let him twirl like a ballerina and hope the other team is dumb enough to go anywhere near a huge ass sword?", she grabbed a purple towel and placed it around the back of her neck.

Garen had finally let his sword down.

"Laugh all you want Katarina. My skillset hasn't failed me yet. And that's a fact", he responded in a calm voice.

"Skillse-", she let out a hysteric laugh. "You're the only one who calls it that. Trust me", she mocked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Calm down now.. Alright? All of us want to win. But. We NEED to do that as A TEAM. The rules were pretty clear", Lux chimed in assuming the role of the voice of reason amidst chaos.

"Why don't you do what you did in the duels? The flaming sword bit?", asked Katarina completely ignoring the light mage's words.

Garen and Ezreal exchanged a guilty look.

"That was a one time thing. I don't think I can do it again", he said defensively.

Katarina let out a grunt as she kicked down a target dummy filled with holes. Frustrated she walked out of the room with a Garen following suit.

"She'll come around", was all he said as he pushed the heavy gym door open.

Ezreal took a step closer to Lux with a sly smile plastered on his face.

"I guess.. that leaves just the two of us", he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer. His sapphire eyes shined with mischief.

Lux chuckled as she pretended to push him away.

"Now is not the time.. Jarro", she smirked as he leaned over her ear.

"I want you to call me by my name", he whispered and she could hear the smile on his lips.

"Are you insane?", she retorted playfully.

"Why not?", she could feel his hot breath against her neck. "No one's listening", he planted a small, tender kiss on her collarbone.

"Well, you can't know for sure", she said as his gauntleted fingers traced the line of her cheekbone.

"Come on..", he begged her. "Just do me this one teeny tiny favor.. I love hearing you say my name", he pouted his lips and gave her the puppy eyes.

"Flattery isn't gonna work", she teased putting up her long staff between their bodies.

"Gah.. You're such a prude", he said with a smile. "It kinda turns me on when you play it hard to get not gonna lie".

Lux stared in disbelief.

"What?", he shrugged his shoulders with a chuckle. She had folded her arms on her stomach. "You like it too. Admit it", he said in a low voice.

Lux was forced to avert her gaze from his blue eyes. She just knew she'd do something stupid if she didn't. Her cheeks were already getting hotter. Along with her body temperature. There was this unease she always felt when Ezreal came dangerously close to her. She couldn't tell exactly what that was but she was always filled with excitement. And something else. Something entirely foreign and new to her.

"Alright then.. Ezreal", she said in a low voice.

The boy grabbed her by the hips and lifted her off the ground causing her to let out a childlike scream.

"See? I knew your voice could go higher!", he teased her.

"Put me down!", she was hitting him on his shoulder with one hand and holding her staff with the other one.

"Nope!", he said smuggly. "Say it louder!", he said as he was spinning her around the room.

"Ezreal stop!", she yelled. He put her down immediately with a wide grin on his face.

"Now I can go to sleep at night", he said with a satisfied smile.

Luxanna rolled her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was still beating fast.

"You guys really need to take it down a notch on the PDA", Katarina's voice startled Lux. They hadn't even realized they were back inside the training room.

"You're just jealous Kat", Ezreal stuck his tongue out. "It's not a bad thing. Garen's sitting right next to you. Go for it", he said with a wink.

Katarina's face froze as she opened her mouth to speak. She was actually blushing.

"I don't have time for this", she brushed it off, regaining her cool.

Without notice Ezreal took Lux's baton from her light grip.

"Hey", she yelled as he swiftly ran away from her. He arcane shifted and sat at the top of a blue metal structure.

"How does this thing work?", he shouted as he hit it repeatedly against his palm. Lux covered her eyes with her palm. Embarassed.

"Give it back!", she shouted.

Ezreal appeared right next to her at once with tiny sparks circling his body for a short moment.

"I will. Don't worry", he smiled. "Do you wanna try and change weapons? I'll give you the gauntlet", he said mischievously.

"We're not supposed to fool around!", Katarina intervened frustrated.

Ezreal shrugged. "Meh. I mean.. What's the worst that could happen?", he asked as he was already taking off his gauntlet.

Lux took it in her tiny hands. It was surprisingly heavier than what she had initially expected.

"Are we supposed to go along with this?", Garen asked irritated as Ezreal was (arguably) practising karate moves with Lux's staff.

He was spinning it around and jumping everywhere as he let out weird sounds.

"What are you doing?", she asked confused.

"Wu-Kong cosplay", he said with a cocky smile. Lux blinked. "Eh.. You wouldn't get it", he chuckled. "Come on put it on!", he urged Lux without ever stopping his "practice".

"Fine", she sighed as she hesitantly put it on her left hand. It felt big but it was still warm from Ezreal's body heat. "What do I do now"?

Ezreal came behind her back and straightened her arm before a target dummy.

"You aim and you shoot", was all he said.

"Instuctions unclear", she blinked puzzled.

"Just try to focus all of your mana into the gauntlet. It's probably same thing as your staff", he replied as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Now do me"!

"Excuse me?", Garen butted in but Ezreal ignored him completely.

"How do I use it?", he asked as he shifted the staff from one hand to the other.

"You aim and you shoot", she sniggered.

"Ha. Ha.", he raised an eyebrow.

Lux focused all of her mana into Ezreal's gauntlet but nothing was happening. Just when she thought she could make it work only a few yellow sparks came out. And it seemed like the blue crystal's light was fading.

She could see her brother messing around with Katarina's knives out the corner of her eye. "I can't even lift this thing!", Katarina whined trying to pick up Garen's sword off the floor. It was tragic.

Ezreal didn't seem to have much luck with her staff either. His fringe was sticking on his forehead from all the sweat. He had been really trying.

"Did you guys see that?", he asked excited.

"See what?", Katarina asked back.

"Yeah. Just my imagination. Thought so", he said as he gave Lux her staff back disappointed.

"I don't know what you guys expected. I mean you have God - Weapons. Chosen specifically for you. I don't", Katarina shrugged indifferently.

Ezreal put his gauntlet on eagerly then hugged his hand.

"I'm never leaving you again bud. You're my one true love", he kissed the blue crystal as he was met with Lux's furious glare. "I mean..", he chuckled nervously.

"This. Is a disaster", Tianna Crownguard's voice destroyed any feeling of ease in the room. "I've brought you here to do something that's worth praise for our school. Not to fuck around. I'm disappointed in you Luxanna". The door closed with a loud thud behind her as Lux tried to swallow the feeling of guilt stuck in her throat.

* * *

"You told me to bring you the God- Weapons. I did. You told me to bring you the Morellonomicon. I did. I need results. And I need them now!", he said in raspy voice.

"I can't perform the ritual", she said taking a small bow. "The language it contains.. "It's Ochnun," she called out. "The language of the dead, composed beyond the mortal veil, and spoken only by those in the afterworld".

"I hope you aren't trying to tell me that I have an entire arsenal of useless weapons", he shouted startling the raven on his shoulder. His bottom lip quivered. His eyes glowed menacingly.

"What about Marcus DuCuteau"?  _Am I pushing my luck right now?_

"He's as good as dead after what I've done to him", he spat out the words like fire.

"We need someone. Anyone. To recite these passages. Or else.. I'm afraid that the weapons are indeed useless".

Swain stood up and grabbed her by the throat. His claws digging in her pale flesh. He looked at her straight in the eyes as he was choking the life out of her. Her vains were popping out on her forehead.

"You're expendable. Don't ever forget that", he whispered in her ear before casting her limp body aside.

He had turned his back on her as she desperately gasped for air. Her vision was still blurry.

"There.. might be.. someone", she managed to say in between violent cough fits.

"Then find him. And bring him to me", he said stroking a crow's black feathers.


	47. Conflict

_He's late again.._

Luxanna was sitting silently on the school cafeteria, gazing at the waiters in their fancy outfits pacing up and down the room. Her head was resting on her folded arms on the table. Her Sorcery Club uniform made her stand out from the rest of the students in Doran's Academy. She could feel their curious eyes piercing through her back but she ignored them as she huffed out a sigh.

"May I?"

Lazily she turned around to see Jarvan the 4th, Crown Prince of Demacia himself, gesturing towards the empty seat beside her.

"Sure", she nodded with a polite smile as a sense of heaviness filled her heart. "Your Highness", she added hastily while bowing her head slightly.

Jarvan huffed a laugh.

"You don't have to address me like that when no one's listening. Well, no one important anyway", his eyes crinkled as he offered her a gentle smile.

"What should I call you then?", she asked inhaling his strong perfume. It was an acute yet pleasant smell.

"You'd be surprised to know how many people here call me J4", he said making her chuckle yet an awkward atmosphere still lingered between them. "You can call me Jarvan".

"I will, your H-" She was met with wide brown eyes. "Jarvan", she exhaled sharply correcting herself. Their pinky fingers grazed eachother on the table but neither of them pulled away.

"Should I go ahead and address the elephant in the room?", he chuckled. "I can tell that you're being uncomfortable with our.. situation. I mean.. we haven't even had a proper conversation to get to know eachother. We were both children last time I saw you.. But I would really like to get to know you a bit better Luxanna". His words sounded honest and real but all of a sudden her mouth felt parched.

"I know you're scared", he took her hand in his with gentle movements. "So am I. I'm not going to lie to you. The last thing I would want is to force someone into doing something they'd rather not". His thumb was moving up and down, tenderly stroking the back of her hand. "But I've accepted my role", he sighed.

Luxanna had never thought of this before but Jarvan was forced into a loveless marriage as much as she was. There was a time that she was eager to fulfill her duty as an elite and a member of high society. She had agreed to everything she'd been told to do willingly. The stigma of being a mage among high ranks in Demacia was still nagging her. Making her want to strive and prove herself to.. who exactly was she trying to impress? A thick knot sat at her stomach. Magic was a common practice everywhere but in her own country. When she was little she felt that this just wasn't fair. Why couldn't she be born in Ionia or Shurima? Or anywhere far from the strict laws of Demacia.

Jarvan said that he had accepted his role. But what about her? Things had changed in her heart whether she liked it or not. Sometimes she just wanted out. Of the Lords and the Ladies and the curtsies and the fancy dinners. But it didn't matter what she wanted anymore. Everything was set in stone.

She looked deep into Jarvan's eyes.

"I still haven't properly come to terms with the whole.. situation", she admitted earnestly then quickly averted her gaze.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to deal with it. I wish I could. But all I can say is that I'll try. I'll try to make this work", the corner of his lips turned down.

Ezreal coughed loudly piercing through the somewhat intimate atmosphere weighing down over their heads.

"I hope you didn't wait too long Lux", he scratched the back of his head as he stood over their table. "Freaking Ekko turned off my alarm to prank me or something", he chuckled nervously trying to read the room. "Jarvan", he said to acknowledge his presence.

"Lightfeather", he said as he stood up and straightened his blue vest. He took Lux's hand and placed a small kiss between her knuckles underneath Ezreal's suspicious look. "See you around Luxanna", he left with a smile.

Ezreal sat down next to her without averting his gaze from Jarvan's back but he didn't say anything. He simply fumbled with the forks and knives placed out in front of him. Lux swallowed hard, not knowing what to do with herself. _Shouldn't he say something? Should I?_

"Um.. Hello", she said as she mentally cursed herself for her social clumsiness. She thought he was never going to reply when he simply said "hello" back.

She bit the inside of her cheek. He knows. Her feet felt as though they had been glued to the floor. Anxiousness flowed through her vains.

"Sleep well?", she asked in an effort to make meaningless small talk.

Ezreal simply shot her with a deadpan glare. He pressed his lips together as an arrogant smile was painted on his face.

"That's who I'm up against this time, isn't it?", he asked mostly to himself.

The pressure on Lux's temples became almost unbearable. Her tongue was stuck between her teeth. Unable to move let alone form coherent sentences. She felt like she'd been staring at him like an idiot as he fidgeted nervously on his seat.

"That's your fiance, isn't it? The Prince", he asked dragging out the word "fiance" with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes", she admitted as waves of guilt were flooding her already fragile heart.

"Garen told me if you're wondering", he said nonchallanty as he skimmed through the menu.

"I know", she replied as she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner about this?", he asked casting the catalogue aside. He didn't sound angry. Just disappointed. Which hurt more.

"It's not like we're.. together together".

She saw Ezreal clench his teeth then quickly run his fingers through his hair.

"We're not a couple? Right. Do you want me to say the word "girlfriend" specifically? Is that what's your problem? Cause I certainly didn't get the impression that we're just hanging out", he said decicively but still kept his voice down to avoid creating a scene. "But hey that's just me", he stood up to leave but Lux was quick to follow his lead.

"Wait", she shouted as soon as they were out in the hallway and away from prying eyes. Ezreal turned around to face her with his arms crossed. "Yes. Jarvan is my betrothed".

The boy huffed out a sigh raising his eyebrows but he didn't interrupt her.

"But.. the wedding will happen once we're both of age".

"So next year", he said mockingly as he licked his lips. "This school year's almost over. Why didn't you tell me what I was getting myself into? I may not be a prince but don't I at least deserve that much?", he asked with furrowed eyebrows. A hint of pain coloured his voice.

Lux was simply standing there shifting her weight from one foot to the other unable to think. Unable to provide a good excuse.

"First off, I have to go up against Sylas. A fucking scum. For the damsel's heart", he batted his eyelashes caustically. "And then the future King of Demacia?", he chuckled as mockery crept into his tone. "Just.. give me a break", he tried to walk away once again but Lux grabbed him by his wrist.

"Say what you want to say Lux", he sighed as he stopped once again. "I'm listening".

The girl with the scarlet hair felt trapped under his cold glare. She opened up her mouth but nothing came out despite the gears in her brain spinning like crazy.

"I just thought we had time", she replied defeated.

"A year. Give or take. Till you become a princess", he sniggered. "I'll tell you what.. What happens if you're still with me by then? Has this ever even crossed your mind"? Lux remained silent.

"Why are you with me anyway? To fullfil some dumb fantasy? Or did you just use me to feel something before you submit yourself to a boring reality for the rest of your miserable life"?

His sapphire eyes were piercing through her body. Like an arrow gushing through her chest. Her breaths were sharp and shallow. _Air. I need some air._

"It's not like that", she said staring at her boots. She just couldn't bare to witness that icy look on his face again.

"What's it like then"?

"Ez..", she said looking around for anyone listening in. "I love you".

Her eyes were welling up with tears. She threw herself onto his chest, gripping his red vest tightly. Peace. That was all she felt as strong, slick arms were wrapped around her body. She let the tears roll down her pale face. But he didn't say a word. He just kept holding on to her with all of his might. The voices of the other students sounded distant. Fading. This moment was theirs and theirs only.

Hesitantly, she broke away from his warm embrace to look him up in the eye. An expression of pain and agitation was painted on his brooding face.

"I don't know what to do", she said as she sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "But I want to be with you". Her eyes were still red.

Ezreal cupped her face with both of his hands as she surrendered herself into an eager kiss. Their lips locked together perfectly, like puzzle pieces. A fire started to burn in her chest. She kissed him back as a stray tear was tracking down her rosy cheek. It had only lasted for a few seconds but the butterflies in her stomach were begging her for more.

When they pulled away she smiled. Ezreal was gazing at her face mesmerized. His thumb gently caressing the line of her cheekbone, sending shivers down her spine.

"Why are you making this so difficult?", he smiled tenderly. He looked hurt.

"I'm sorry", she said staring at her boots. She tried to fight the urge to start crying again.

He placed his palm on the back of her head letting her rest her chin on his shoulder. Lux could feel his heart beating irregularly. But she didn't mind. If anything it meant that he felt the same. And that was enough.


	48. Katarina

Their progress had been slow. Painfully slow. No matter what they did in their practice at the old gym they just couldn't quite get there. It was like teamwork had been an alien concept to all four of them.  _Well.._

Lux had been trying to make them cooperate all together in vain. It was awkward for Ezreal to witness his girl's futile efforts in leadership. Their minds weren't there. And that much had been painfully obvious. And Katarina.. let's just say that she wasn't there. Literally. Lately, she would come up with excuses and left the room without ever coming back. Ezreal had been trying to follow her as discreetly as possible. His suspicions just hadn't been cleared. He would follow Professor Graves' orders for as long as he could. That was decided.

He was messing around creating small, golden sparkles in the atmosphere with his gauntlet. He lied down near Garen who had been slicing mannequins left and right with his nearly dull blade now. Ezreal cackled when there were no more dummies for him to cut down.

"Do you think this is funny?", he asked frustrated. "At least I'm doing something unlike you", Garen scolded him before he spat down right next to his face.

"Hey, hey, hey! Not in the face! That's how I make my living dude!", Ezreal shouted irritated.

"Are you ever gonna take this seriously?", Katarina chimed in. For a second he thought that something else caught her attention. As if someone was standing right behind him. He lazily stood up.

It didn't take long for him to notice. A slim shadow lingering out the corner of his eye. Blink and you'd miss it.

Katarina picked up her towel and draped it around her slick shoulders. A plastic bottle of water was carefully placed in her hands. He heard her huff out a puff.

"Where are you going? We've barely started practice", Garen whined. His sword fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"I'm done. This is meaningless", she stormed out of the gym and into the girls' locker room.

"Don't worry I'll be sure to bring her back", Lux reassured them. The silver baton hanging over her shoulder.

Ezreal placed a comforting hand on her thin waist. He closed his eyes as he whispered "Let me talk to her. Please. It's the least I can do".

He tried to sound as convincing as possible. His intentions needed to sound as sincere as possible. He could never let her know of what he was actually doing. Professor Graves had entrusted him with an important task. An important task that so far he had failed repeatedly. He just couldn't afford to let this man down again. Even if he had yet to inform him of Neeko's appearance instead of Katarina's at the party.

Maybe Kayn was right all along. Maybe he should have told him, instead of trying to play the detective by himself. He still felt the guilt that gnawed his brain. No more mistakes. That's what he had decided as Lux nodded affirmatively yet hesitantly.

Katarina was up to something. It was time to face the music. Ezreal was far from insane. Far from being the mad scientist whose life had ended by his own scarlet gauntlet. He wasn't seeing things. And for that he was more than certain. He just needed to make sure on his own before accusing his classmate of anything.

His steps were light and nearly inaudible as he cautiously approached the girls locker room. A white light was shining bright at the end of the dark hallway he was now walking through. The smell made him scrunch his nose. It reeked of sweat and plastic. When he finally got closer he held his breath and covered his mouth with his gauntleted hand. He blinked multiple times as he watched Katarina's shadow dance under the white lamps.

"When? It's been months already!", he heard her familiar voice rise in pitch. Her arms were moving frantically. Simply seeing her shadow was enough for him to tell that she had been ignited with anger.

"That, I can not disclose I'm afraid", a velvety voice replied. Ezreal took a quick look behind him to make sure Lux hadn't changed her mind. Letting her see this was the last thing he would ever want.

"How much of a fool do you take me for?", Katarina's voice cracked as she verbalized her question.

Ezreal swallowed hard. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it ringing in his ears. Katarina seemed.. vulnerable. And this was truly a first. His now black hair was blocking his vision.

A soft snigger echoed in the dark passage as he was trying to conceal his presence.

"Why should I even bother to answer this? I don't think you are going to value my opinion anyway", the voice responded sarcastically. "Just do as I say. Bring him to me. No more questions".

_Do as I say? Who is she talking about? What did she tell her to do?_

The lights blinked many times. More than he could count. A cold gust of wind startled him making the tiny hair on the back of his neck stand up. An uncomfortable shiver spread through his spine. His back was pinned to the wall. He wanted to move but there he was. Standing straight. Frozen.

Without realizing, he took a sloppy backward step towards the exit, tripping over himself. And in the end, he landed on the ground with a big thump.

"Who's there?", Katarina was quick to move towards the hallway. Daggers clutched in both hands as he desperately tried to arcane shift towards the exit. It was too late. For the first time in his life, he wasn't fast enough.

He was still trying to pick himself up off the floor when her cold, silver blade collided with the base of his throat. She was pulling him by his Battle Club vest. Her movements were precise. Ezreal felt like prey.

"Make one move and you're done lover boy", she threatened him pressing her sharp blade a bit more fiercely to his naked skin.

He gulped fearfully as he saw stray strands of his black hair fall to his chest. Her knives were so sharp he hadn't even realized they'd been cut off in the first place. He lifted his head slowly and glanced over to her face. Her features looked distorted. Lost to an abyss of animosity. Her teeth clenched. Her aim steady as her pink hair fell gently over her shoulders.

"What did you hear?", her voice was barely audible, almost like a whisper. He couldn't hear her all that well, despite the fact that their faces were now inches away from one another.

Ezreal bit his tongue. He tried his best not to grimace in pain.

"I didn't hear anything. I just came to talk to you. For the team. We can't do this without you", he said in an effort to appeal to her good will as blood filled his mouth, leaving him with a metallic aftertaste.

Katarina's expression betrayed nothing but disbelief.

"Tsk", she finally let go of his vest and stood back, leaning over the wall with her arms crossed. She patiently waited for him to stand up as well.

Ezreal mirrored her behavior as they now stood opposite eachother in the narrow passage.

"Did you actually believe that I haven't noticed what you're trying to do?", she raised an eyebrow as she shot him with a hostile glare.

"Bring you back with the team? So we can maybe win this damn tournament?", he bluffed.

Katarina replied with a sly snigger. Out of the blue, she took a step forward and grabbed him by the back of his hair, pinning him tightly against the wall. Ezreal fought the urge to gasp as he was slightly taken aback. He stretched out his neck and looked up at her eyes which were hidden by her long bangs.

"I know you've been following me around Pilty", she whispered menacingly in his ear. Her hands still gripping forcefully trufts of his hair, making him wince. "But you know what they say: Curiosity killed the cat". He couldn't help but be reminded of Principal Yuumi's tragic death.

"Let's just take it easy", he carried on still trying to maintain a clueless highschool boy mask.

"Oh don't give me that", she bit her bottom lip as she applied more force to her steady grip. The edge of her blade was now resting on the nick of his chin. "You know. Now tell me how much you know. That is if you want your precious "Lux" to live to fight another day".

Ezreal furrowed his eyebrows in terror. What scared him the most was that her threat didn't seem empty.

"Wh-What are you talking about? She's your friend! How can you say something like this"?

Katarina shoved him back against the wall before taking a step back herself.

"Friend..", she whispered under her breath as if she was talking to herself. Ezreal was staring. Confused. His mouth slightly agape. "Well. We were always just neighbours. I only ever became friends with her because that's what they told me to do".

The boy couldn't believe his ears.

"She's engaged to the Demacian prince you know", she huffed a laugh. "Too bad", she pouted her lips mocking his own predicament. "I hate to break it to you but if anyone in this story is irrelevant.. Then it definetely has to be you lover boy".

Ezreal felt his body heat rise. Anger started to shimmer in him. His head started to ache. Swiftly, he raised his gauntlet and aimed at her. The blue crystal started to shine ominously once again.

"Yuumi." he said the former Principal's name in a low voice. "Did you do it?"

"Yes".

Ezreal swallowed hard. His mouth felt dry. He never expected a straight answer. He always thought that if he ever confronted Katarina about this whole thing, she would at least try to deny it.

"Who else knows?", she narrowed her eyes glaring him suspiciously.

"Just me".  _Kayn and Graves._

"I know you're lying. But I'll do you the favor and take your word for it. Speak to anyone about this and Luxanna's dead", she walked away tossing one of her knives in the air and catching it.

Ezreal let himself drop to the floor as soon as the girl was out of his line of vision. He let out a deep sigh.  _What have I gotten myself into?_  He wondered as he ran his hands through his soft curls in frustration. The days he'd been stealing recklessly and putting his life on the line for jewels and ancient artifacts seemed a lot simpler compared to what had become of his life in the past few months. He rubbed his eyes with the tips of his fingers.

When he got back out at the gym he saw Katarina wrapped in Lux's arms. A bright smile graced her lips.

"You did it! You brought her back", Lux shouted to Ezreal.

He forced himself to smile. The Warband's expression betrayed nothing of their previous conversation while he was sure he must have been white as a sheet.

"I couldn't let down our team now could I?", Katarina DuCuteau flashed her teeth at him. But now he could read between the lines.  _Talk to anyone about this and I'll kill her._


	49. Awaken

"Ezreal. Ezreal. Wake up", he tried to switch sides as someone was shaking him by the shoulder.

"Let me sleep", he mumbled. Drool was dripping on his chin. "I'm tired", he tried to muffle a yawn.

"Ezreal!", the voice sounded demanding causing him to open his eyes unwittingly. It was way too dark outside.

"What time is it?", he wondered as he rubbed his eyelids. A blurry image of a short girl with ridiculously long, floating hair appeared right in front of him. He sat up in a rapid movement, checking on Ekko's sleeping body on the bed next to his.

"Zoe?", he whispered frantically. He blinked multiple times before he eventually grabbed her by the hand and took her out of their room. "What are you doing here?", he asked as he carefully closed the door behind him. He was still in this embarassing blue onesie that Ekko had lend him. He could have given him something a lot better yet this was simply his way of tormenting him. _I swear this is the last time I forget to pack PJs._

Only then did he realize how gloomy her expression was. Her lips were almost white and she was lightly shaking.

"What happened?", he asked clutching both of her hands in his.

Zoe was simply staring with her lips slightly apart. She looked as if she was in shock.

"Come with me", he urged her to follow him still holding onto her hand.

In the end, he took them both inside the gym. It was the only place that was sure to be empty at this time. And probably the only place they could speak freely without having to worry about anyone listening in their private conversation. He had her sit down on the floor before he took a seat right opposite her. Their knees were touching.

"Tell me. Why did you come all this way?", he asked concerned.

Zoe looked up at him with wide eyes. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"Y-You don't know?", she manages to stutter. Her voice cracked as she was speaking. She was on the verge of breaking down. There was no faking this. Ezreal furrowed his brow.

"What don't I know"?

Zoe took a shallow breath as she figured out what must have happened. She knitted her eyebrows. There was fury on her glare.

"Luxanna.", Zoe clenched her teeth. "She didn't tell you"?

"I'm completely lost here Zoe. What didn't she tell me?", he was still too misinformed to get a grip on the situation that was evolving in front of him.

"About Kayn!", she said a bit louder than what was necessary. "He was in a coma"!

Ezreal covered his mouth with both hands.

"What do you mean? Was he in an accident?", he tried to understand.

Zoe huffed indignant.

"I can't believe she kept this from you.. She promised she would bring you back! I'm so stupid.. Why did I ever believe her"..

It was pretty clear that Zoe was losing track of her own thought as she was now blabbering about how she should have never trusted Lux.

"Snap out of it!", he demanded yet he tried to remain as calm as possible. "Just tell me what happened to him"!

The girl let her eyes close as she took a deep breath.

"Kayn's been possessed by the Darkin within his scythe", she announced. He remained silent so she continued. "His name is Rhaast. He's been taking over Kayn's body little by little every single day. I'm sure you remember his hand", she gestured over to her own palm.

Ezreal gave her a nod of affirmation.

"He's been in a coma ever since you left the Academy. Well.. He was".

Ezreal started to feel an unpleasant pressure deep in his skull. His eyes started to sting. _No._  He shook his head trying to escape his own train of thought.

"Wh- what do you mean he was?", he stammered unsure if he was ready to know the answer. "He woke up", she said. A blank look was painted on her face. Ezreal couldn't understand.  _Shouldn't she be happy if he's awake now?_

"He's not.. Kayn anymore", she finally said as if she had read his mind.

"Where is he now?", he asked hoping his voice wouldn't betray him. He didn't want to give in to this new wave of despair that was beginning to boil within himself.

Zoe raised her shoulders.

"Who knows.. Professor Zed was there when he woke up".

Ezreal felt his heart race.

"Zed"?

Zoe nodded as she went on.

"He had been taking care of him. But now.. Rhaast injured him really bad".

Ezreal gulped in shock.

"Kayn fought Professor Zed"?

"He won too", she let out a feint smile. She looked as if she was even proud of her friend's achievement. She stared out into the distance taken aback by her own thinking. She seemed aloof. "You need to help me find him before he hurts himself", she pleaded with her big different coloured eyes. "Or anyone else.." she said like she was simply mentioning an afterthought.

"I will. I promise. I just need to do something first".  _I have to talk to Lux._  "Wait for me here. We'll head back together", he stood up cautiously.

Zoe simply bowed her head slightly. In his eyes, she looked way more mature than the last time he'd seen her.

* * *

He had knocked on her door a few times already. He couldn't stop shaking his foot as he waited for her to open up. He bit his nail nervously.

"Ezreal?", a sleepy Lux opened her door slightly. "What are you doing here so late?", her eyes were still half closed.

"We need to talk", he replied in a low voice. The deadpan look on his face frightened her.

"This can't be good", she said under her breath as she took a quick look behind her before eventually letting him in. "Where's Katarina?", she wondered mostly to herself as she looked at her empty bed. But Ezreal didn't have time for this.

"Zoe's here", he said. He looked cautious around her. "She told me about Kayn". His cold glare made her shiver.

"Ahh.. That..", she said staring down her knees.

"You knew?! You knew about this Lux?!", he said kicking a wall in frustration. "At first I didn't want to believe it but how could you not tell me?", he shook her by the shoulders. His voice was on the verge of cracking. Hi irises dillated with fear and pain.

"I-I", stammered Luxanna trying to find words of consolation. Words to explain. But her mind was blank as she shivered.

"You were the last person that I expected to betray me like this", he said leaving her aside and walking away. "My best friend is on the verge of death and you had me moping over your fiance"! His words were dripping with poison.

"Ezreal wait! I can explain!", she shouted decisevely. Ezreal stopped at once. "Professor Graves made me hide it from you".

The boy turned his head slowly to face her.

"Graves?", his eyes blinked in disbelief.  _Hmm... What do you know.. Another person who has used me to do his bidding._

"Yes. So many things have happened since you left the Academy", she stroked her wrist with her fingers. "I didn't know what to do.. I swear.. I didn't mean to hurt you or lie to you. I swear..", she whimpered.

Ezreal took a few steps towards her but hesitated to come too close.

"What things?", he asked from a safe distance. He didn't want to let her mere presence cloud his judgement. She could break him with one look and right now he didn't want to give her that satisfaction.

"Me and Zoe.. We heard something we shouldn't have.. I think..", she sighed heavily. Her eyes pleading him to hear her out.

"I'm listening", the boy urged her to continue.  _What could she possibly know? Did she find out about me and Kayn tailing Katarina?_

"Professor Graves.. he thinks Katarina killed Principal Yuumi on the night of the party", she replied.

Ezreal stared at her with wide eyes. He felt as if his blood was frozen. He swallowed hard.

"Anything else?", he asked nonchallantly. Lux furrowed her eyebrows at his calm reaction.

"Wait", she started. "Why aren't you shocked about this?", she narrowed her blue eyes.

Ezreal gulped before he opened his mouth to say.. _Say what exactly?_

"You knew about this didn't you?", her voice trembled. Ezreal fidgeted as he paced around the room trying to avoid her.

"Ezreal. Answer me", she demanded seemingly composed.

Ezreal glared at her menacingly but for the first time in a while he actually looked at her directly in the eyes.

"Yes", was his response. Lux took a seat on the bed as she ran her fingers through her long, red hair. She bit her knuckles.

"Alright. No more secrets. Sit down", she ordered him. Ezreal dragged his feet begrudgingly and plopped himself down on the mattress next to her.

"Did she do it?", she asked as if she was prepared to accept any answer he would provide.

"She did..", he admitted despite the fact that her threat was still fresh in his mind.

"But she was at the party!", she whispered suspicious of anyone listening in their conversation. "You saw her with your own eyes! I saw her"!

Ezreal let out a small sarcastic chuckle. "Yeah no. That wasn't Katarina", he explained.

"Wh- What are you saying"? Her nails were digging into her thighs. Her nerves were on edge as her heartrate was speeding up. She was afraid it might give out right there and then.

"Katarina had Neeko come in her place. I figured it out when me and her were left alone", Ezreal was biting the inside of his cheek nervously.

"And you hid it from me".

Ezreal stood up and walked around the room once again rubbing his face.

"She threatened that.. she'd kill you too!", he flailed his arms exasperated. "This shit has gotten way out of hand Lux", his voice finally cracked. Luxanna felt something break inside of her. "And I- I", Ezreal took a deep breath. She could see the drool dripping from the corners of his lips. "I killed a guy Lux", said the boy finally bursting out in tears he had probably been holding in for way too long.

He had buried his face in his palms when he felt a pair of arms wrapping around him. Holding him close. He looked down at her then mimicked her movement. He held on tight onto her, breathing in her familiar scent as if his life depended on this moment. He could feel his chest tighten as he couldn't control his breathing patterns anymore. He felt like a child. Fragile and vulnerable.

The world he once knew was long gone. Everything had been shattered. Turned to pieces. Anger started to shimmer deep inside of him. He was mad at this world. Filled with lies and secrets and regrets. He didn't belong here. He never did.

He broke away from her arms. There was a spark in his sapphire eyes. Lux stared at him with what seemed like pity as she wiped a tear that was tracking down his cheek with her thumb.

"I have to go", he said casting her hand aside.

"Where are you going?", she asked.

He had already turned his back to leave. The girl heard him sigh deeply.

"Home", was all he said.

Lux wracked her brain to find something. Anything that could keep him close to her.

"But.. what about the tournament?", she asked as a last resort.

Ezreal huffed a laugh. He was already touching the doorknob.

"Honestly? I'm sick of all of this. Fuck the tournament". He shut the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bcuz bros before hoes xD


	50. Kleptomancy

Ezreal took a look around his dorm room. Everything had been left the way it was the day he was teleported to Doran's Academy with Professor Ryze.

He ran his fingers through his pitch black hair. Zoe was standing right next to him. It was still night time outside.

"So it's true", he whispered under his breath. "Zoe. Can you take us to him? With your portals"?

Zoe nodded.

"Give me your hand", she commanded him and Ezreal did so without question.

* * *

They found themselves inside some kind of bar. The neon blue sign behind the counter was blinking ominously. As if it was a warning to them. A warning to back away.

Ezreal felt something wet touching his foot. When he looked down, he was met with a pool of thick blood. He jerked away instinctively before his eyes shot up at Zoe. She was still clinging onto his hand. Like it was her only grip on reality.

Corpses was piling up on the wooden floor while the radio was still playing old rock songs. Men of all ages and several women had been ripped in half. Their guts filling the room with oozy liquids and an awful stench. Ezreal covered his nostrils with the back of his gauntlet. With every step he took, he left behind a faint trail of bloody footprints. His stomach had already been churning. The back of his throat was itching him unpleasantly.

He saw a woman with open glassy eyes. Her torso was up against a wooden pole. A few inches away he saw a hand with painted nails clutching onto what looked like a cell phone. He bit his tongue as he was trying to keep his cool. A screeching sound pierced his ears. It sounded like nails on a blackboard. Like metal on a polished, impeccable floor.

A frozen fist closed violently around his heart when he saw the blank expression in Zoe's eyes. He swallowed hard. He turned around to see what she was so fixated on.

A slim, dark figure emerged from behind the counter as he tried to stand back up grabbing onto the broken bottles and glasses on the long, narrow table. The man was dragging his feet towards them. It looked like he had a limp. A metal scythe with a red glowing eye was being dragged carelessly on the ground.

Kayn stood before them.

A cold, emotionless expression was plastered on his pale face. The blue streak in his hair was stained with blood. But he wasn't paying them any attention. He acted as if he hadn't even realized somebody else's presence in the bar.

Ezreal clenched his teeth. He opened his mouth to say something, when Kayn finally turned to face them head on. Half of his face was covered in metal. His entire left side looked like foreign material on his body. Like an armor he had put on. Between his thick, black hair Ezreal could make out what seemed like the base of a horn. But still. That meant that somewhere in there his friend was still fighting. The corruption hadn't engulfed his entire body. At least, not yet.

He wasn't wearing a shirt while his pants looked like remnants of his Battle Club uniform. All torn up and full of dirt and blood. Kayn was staring at the both of them. Ezreal was waiting for that hint of recognition to light up his face, but in vain. It never came.

Without notice, Kayn's body collapsed right in front of them. His huge scythe, landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"Kayn"! Ezreal and Zoe shouted in unison as they rushed to his side.

The girl was quick to grab his still uncorrupted hand. Ezreal noticed the blood underneath his fingernails. His hair were unruly. His usual braid that he was always teasing him for was a thing of the past. Ezreal never expected that he would ever miss seeing it.

"Kayn!", he screamed in his friend's ear as he slapped him hard in the face. Kayn blinked several times but in the end he couldn't keep them open for long. Ezreal slapped him even harder. "Wake up"!

Zoe was holding onto his hand as her lips were quivering. She shot Ezreal with a look of pure despair and question.  _This clearly isn't working,_  he thought as he was mentally preparing to punch his best friend in the face.

Metallic fingers closed around his fist, stopping it mid air. A few inches before it reached his skin. His scarlet eye was glowing tauntingly. Before long, Kayn was using more and more force on his grip, leaving Ezreal no choice but to arcane shift a few meters away. He stretched his fingers at a safe distance as Zoe was thrown away by his friend's hand, hitting her head on a nearby wall.

"Zoe!", he called out her name. The girl gestured that she was okay. "What have you done?", he demanded to know of Kayn.

A sly snigger escaped Kayn's lips. His voice sounded familiar yet foreign at the same time.

"Tell me you had to do this!", he shouted. He couldn't move freely around the place. The corpses were covering every inch of the bar. His heart was beating so fast. He could actually feel it breaking inside his chest. This isn't him.. "Tell me you had no choice! Tell me it was you or them"!

"You can believe whatever eases your conscience", Kayn replied as he stood up.

Unexpectedly, he broke into a violent cough fit, spitting a few thick drops of blood. He reached for his scythe as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A bright star hit him in the head. Ezreal's eyes turned to Zoe. He'd seen her stars destroying target dummies in fractions of seconds. Kayn looked at her. Annoyed.

"Ouch", he said sarcastically.

"At least your humour hasn't left you", Zoe replied. Only then did Ezreal notice the cut on her bottom lip. It already looked a little swollen.

He had now focused all of his attention to her. His clawed fingers stroked her cheek but his smile betrayed nothing but hostility towards the girl with the floating hair.

"Don't touch her!", Ezreal yelled as he was about to make a move.

With a swift movement of his hand, Kayn sent his scythe flying in his direction. Pinning him against the wall in the process. He had tried to arcane shift but for some reason he couldn't.  _Maybe it's darkin magic,_  he thought as he stood there hopeless with a large blade terrifyingly close to his throat. It felt like his own magic was being nullified by the scythe. He could sense a dark aura surrounding the weapon.

Kayn forced his grip around Zoe's delicate throat. He could see her mouthing his name but her voice wouldn't come out. She was quick to open a portal behind the boy and landing a paddle star on his chest. Thankfully, he was dazed long enough for her to escape. Kayn put his palms on his temples as he let out a deafening cry. He had dropped to his knees.

"Zoe", he whispered her name. Out of the blue, the scythe fell to the floor and released Ezreal in the process. He approached his roommate with caution as Zoe also took a few timid steps towards him.

He looked at her straight in the eyes. In that moment, he actually looked like the Kayn he once knew.

"Please", he begged her. "You know what must be done", a single tear drop rolled down his white cheek.

 _What is he talking about?,_  Ezreal furrowed his eyebrows confused. He could see the unease in Zoe's overall behavior increase more and more.

"No", her voice cracked. "I'm not going to do that"!

Kayn's expression softened as he gave her a coy smile.

"This is the only way", he said after a short moment of silence. "He's afraid of you. I can feel it", he coughed violently again. "Ez"..

Ezreal felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn't realized that he was aiming for Kayn with his gauntlet.

"I'm sorry.. I- I wasn't strong enough", Kayn said as he disappeared inside a purple glow, leaving him and Zoe alone. In a bar full of dead bodies.

* * *

Ekko found himself alone in his room when he woke up that morning. He inhaled deeply as he rubbed his eyes with both of his fists. Jarro's bed was empty. He sat up and noticed that the closet had been left open.  _This guy's the worst roommate ever,_  he mused.

He squinted his eyes and got closer. The wardrobe was full of his own clothes as usual.  _As usual?_  All of Jarro's clothes were gone.  _Where is he?_  He scratched his white mohawk.

He jumped when he heard the knock on his door. He opened it begrudgingly expecting to find Jarro Lightfeather (and consequently lecture him on the importance of leaving things the way he found them).

He certainly didn't expect to see the crown prince of Demacia himself.

"J4?", he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here"?

"Good morning", the boy spoke as if he was in a hurry. "Can I come in? I need to talk to Jarro for a minute".

"Fine by me, but Jay-El's not here actually", Ekko yawned as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"What?", Jarvan Lightshield asked with wide eyes.

He pushed Ekko aside and barged into the room to make sure for himself. The boy with the mohawk raised an eyebrow. He felt as if Jarvan was about to even look under the bed for Jarro. _What the hell.._

"I told you he's not here"...

"Did he tell you where he went?", Jarvan clutched him by the shoulders.

"Beats me.. But all of his shit is gone too", he responded calmly while he tried to stifle his yawn.

"This isn't good", the prince mumbled under his breath. "Come with me", he ordered the boy.

"Can I at least put on some clothes first?", he asked as the Demacian was pulling him by the hand.

"Do it fast. We need to report this".

Ekko swallowed hard. He may not have known Jarvan all that well since he wasn't in his class but this seemed far from his usual chill demeanor.

"Just give me a sec", he said seriously as the other boy gave him a curt nod.

* * *

They found Ahri waiting outside headmistress Fiora's office. She was biting her fingernails nervously.

"They're talking about cancelling the tournament", she said to them as soon as she spotted them.

Ekko's eyes shot up at the girl then Jarvan.

"What is going on J4?", he raised his arms as if in surrender.

The prince's solemn expression irked his stomach. He knocked on the door.

"Come in", a female voice said. Jarvan opened the door with determination as Ahri and himself followed suit.

Sitting on a chair opposite Fiora's desk was a Durrandal Academy student. He didn't remember his name but he was pretty sure he was a Club representative. He had broad shoulders and black hair but for some reason he was white as a sheet. Next to him he saw Durrandal Academy's principal.

"Where is Monsieur Lightfeather?", asked Fiora as she searched for the boy with her eyes among the three of them.

"We couldn't find him", Jarvan said in shame.

The Durrandal boy covered his eyes with both of his palms.

"I knew it! I knew he was up to no good! Fuckin' Pilties", he cursed clearly under a lot of stress.  _Pilties?_

"Monsieur Crownguard! Calm down please", headmistress Fiora said.

"Calm down? My sister's gone! Katarina DuCuteau is also gone! And this guy is a fuckin' criminal that all of you have been covering for!", he said in an accusatory tone. Durrandal school's principal pursed her lips together.

Ekko blinked multiple times but he still couldn't understand much. He decided to remain silent till he actually did.

"Your Principal was the one who made sure this boy would come here, n'est ce pas? So don't make me take full responsibility for this mess", Fiora said in a serious voice.

"What the hell is up?", Ahri finally asked the question he couldn't bring himself to ask.

"Three of Durrandal's representatives are missing", Fiora began to explain as Garen punched her desk, interrupting her in the process.

"Couldn't they just have gone out for a bit?", Ahri asked as she stared at her nail polish. Everyone's looks turned to her but the nine-tailed girl was completely unphased.

"Malheuresement, this isn't the whole story"..

Ekko took a look around him. "Where's Vlad?", he asked.

"Vladimir has been missing as well", Fiora sighed.

"What?", Ahri said in shock.

"We are currently looking for all four of the students so don't worry. I'm sure we'll find them", the Durrandal Principal spoke for the first time.

Garen let out a snigger.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't brought that scumbag here. Who knows what he's capable of!", he shouted obviously frustrated.

"Who is he talking about?", Ekko wrinkled his brow.

"Jarro..", Tianna Crownguard began to say but she was immediately cut of by her student.

"His name is Ezreal. Ezreal Lymere. Why don't we start calling a spade a spade for a change"?

 _Ezreal._  Ekko felt his heart stop momentarily.

"So what are you saying?", Ekko raised an eyebrow.

"Ezreal's a criminal who came here under a false name. I'm saying that he might have something to do with the "disappearance" of the others", Garen spat out.

Ekko let out a boisterous laugh.

"Are you seriously suggesting that Jay-El -sorry Ezreal, kidnapped like three people?", he laughed harder than before. "The guy is shorter than you dude! I don't think he's that much of a threat".

"This isn't a laughing matter Ekko", headmistress Fiora scolded him.

But maybe they were right. After all. He had witnessed this Ezreal killing a man with his own two eyes. He gulped in fear.  _Should I report this?_  But if he did he would only get himself in trouble. They would know that he had sneaked outside of school.  _What's more important?_  He tried to decide as the rest of them were brainstorming on possible locations they could be.

"Headmistress. I have a confession to make".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rip klepto.. :'( you will be missed


	51. Dawnbringer

"What just happened?", Zoe fidgeted nervously.

Kayn had vanished right in front of their eyes in an unearthly glow.

"I- I don't know..", Ezreal said as he kept looking around the room as if his friend would just magically reappear. "Take us to him!", he ordered her.

Zoe took him by the hand at once. He awaited for the dizziness that always came when he traveled through the girl's portals but nothing was happening.  
He heard her trying to stifle a stubborn whine.

"What's wrong?", he asked anxiously.

"Ezreal.. I can't find him!", her eyes were starting to well up with tears. "I can't find him"!

"Calm down. We'll figure this out", he sighed as he was pretending to be the rational one for once. Zoe nodded as she bit her bottom lip.

"Take us back to the Academy. I need to talk to someone".

* * *

Zoe and Ezreal were standing in front of Professor Graves' office. The boy was about to reach for the metallic door handle when he felt someone squeezing his hand hesitantly.

"Aren't you coming in?", he asked the Aspect.

"I need to go", she replied quizically. Ezreal rested his palms on her shoulders.

"We will find him. I promise", he lied to her and himself in the process. He had to become this beacon of hope today. He couldn't be the weak one anymore. "We are going to fix him".

"That's why I have to go", a feint smile graced her lips. "Good luck with that", she said gesturing at Graves' door.

"Than-", Ezreal began to say when he realized the Aspect had already jumped into a purple portal leaving him alone in the hallway.

 _Whatever.._  He thought as he opened the door without bothering to knock. He had played by the rules so far. And it hadn't worked.

He barged into the small office beaming with cockiness. It didn't matter. It all quickly evaporated. He swallowed hard when he realized that his professor wasn't alone in his study. He made out his familiar face despite the dim lighting.

Jayce turned to face the boy who was still at the door. He could have sworn there was a hint of surprise in his eyes when he recognized him.

Graves seemed to freeze when he spotted him. His thick cigar was stuck between his teeth. Ashes falling directly onto his desk.

"What's he doing here?", Ezreal asked.

He hadn't even tried to conceal the anger in his tone. Last time he'd seen his classmate was when he took them to Singed's laboratory with Ekko. The Battle Club member shook his head lightly, trying to suppress the memory.

Professor Graves jolted up from his seat and made his way towards him. The man with the glasses hurriedly shut the door Ezreal had completely forgotten to.

"What are YOU doing here Lymere?", Graves asked. There was madness in his eyes. "Where are the others?", he shook the boy violently.

For the second there, Ezreal thought he was about to get hit, when he felt a spark within him.

"Just answer my question!", he shouted. "What is HE doing here?", he spat out the word 'he' as if he was referring to a lesser being. His reaction made the Professor slowly back away with unease but he quickly snapped out of it.

"Careful with your words. You don't get to boss me around, son". He sat back at his desk then took a long drag of his cigar.

"Oh I'm not your son! So don't ever call me that", Ezreal said without even taking the time to think where all of this was coming from. "My friend is here dying and you hid it from me! And now he's gone! Me and Zoe saw him disappear right in front of us! I can't believe you sold me out! After all I've done for you"!

Ezreal knew.. Deep in his heart he knew that he sounded like a child throwing a tantrum over a lost toy. But no. He had to find out. He had to find out why he had ever allowed himself to be played like this.

But Malcolm Graves looked.. indifferent as he let out clouds of thin smoke through his nostrils. His red beard was starting to turn yellow below his nose.

 _He doesn't even care._  Ezreal clenched his fists mad. The boy opened his mouth, prepared spill any kind of thought that popped into his troubled mind when the Professor finally broke his silence.

"Luxanna Crownguard, Katarina DuCuteau and another student from Doran's Academy are missing".

Ezreal's eyes grew wide open. They looked as if they were made of glass. He couldn't hide his emotions.

Graves was eyeing him suspiciously like he was checking to see if his reaction was genuine. Ezreal sat down on a chair next to Jayce's with slow movements.

"Just thought you should know", Graves carried on after a while but he was still narrowing his eyes. Gauging the boy's true intentions. He put his feet up on the desk. His leather boots were covered in dirt. Just like the rest of his office. The place looked like it hadn't been cleaned since his detention with Kayn.

"What happened?", he asked in a low voice. He was afraid that it might crack if he spoke in a higher pitch.

"You kidnapped them", Malcolm Graves explained calmly.

"What?", Ezreal shot up. His feet landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"Well.. You clearly didn't. Since you're here", he finally put out his cigar in a heavy looking ashtray. "But still. You gotta admit boy: You're the perfect scapegoat".

"This is bullshit! I didn't do anything wrong!", he threw a punch on the desk making Graves sit back normally but he still looked calm as water.

"Oh really?", he asked quizzically.

Ezreal furrowed his eyebrows at the question.  _No. This isn't happening._

"Did you not shoot and kill a man named Singed in Zaun using that gauntlet of yours?", Graves knitted his fingers together as he waited for the boy's response.

His mouth felt so dry. Goosebumps covered his skin. For the first time since he got it, he wanted to hide the gauntlet behind his back. Never to see it again.  
He shot Jayce with an accusing look but the black haired boy turned to face the other way.

"Is that why you're here? Did you give me up too?", he huffed a sarcastic laugh. Jayce looked at him with cleched teeth.

"Don't you dare... For all I know it was your friend Ekko who told them".

"So it IS true..", Graves looked up at Ezreal's innocent looking face in what seemed like disbelief. No. It was something worse. Disappointment.

Ezreal didn't know why he was after this man's approval so hard. This no-good, useless, probably worst teacher he ever had. A clearly broken man. Yet he did.

"I think I know what happened", Ezreal grunted ignoring his stupid thoughts.  _I have to find her._  "I think it was Katarina, Professor. You HAVE to believe me! She admitted to me that she's the one who killed Principal Yuumi"! He didn't even hesitate to reveal all of this in front of Jayce. This had to be her threat.  _Tell anyone and I'll kill her.. How did I screw this up so fucking much?_

"Katarina DuCuteau did what? There's no way!", Jayce said.

_What the fuck?_

"Why are you defending her? I thought you hated her anyway", he yelled back at him.

"Graves", the fact that Jayce had just casually addressed their teacher irked him for some reason. "Katarina DuCuteau is a lot of things but I don't think she would ever harm innocent people".

 _Ofcourse Graves will believe him.._  It was always obvious that this guy was the teacher's pet. Jayce looked so determined he could even convince him of that. If it hadn't been for the fact that she had put a knife in his throat.

"You were a nutjob's apprentice! You don't get to have an opinion on this matter!", Ezreal grabbed him by his blue vest.

"And YOU do? A purse snatcher?", Jayce chuckled letting his eyes half close. "Oh please. You don't have any more credibility than I do 'Lightfeather'", he sniggered then Ezreal let him go irritated.

"Fine", he mumbled under his breath as he took his seat again.

"Why don't we start by you two SHITHEADS GETTING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER"?! Professor Graves' sudden outburst made the two boys droop their heads in shame.

"Ezreal", Graves called out his name. "You need to leave. They have people looking for you. Even if you didn't kidnap the girls you still killed that guy. Go away. Lie low. There's nothing you can do anymore".

"You can't shut me down!"

"ENOUGH. You've done enough already. I could have turned you in the moment you walked out that door. Think of it as me paying you back. Now. We need to track down miss DuCuteau ASAP", he said consumed in thoughts.

"But I'm telling you! She couldn't have done this!", Jayce insisted then the look in his eyes turned blank. "Unless..", he whispered.

"Unless what?", Graves asked visibly intrigued.

Jayce took a deep breath then shot the two others with a puzzled look.

"I guess there's no point in hiding this anymore"...

* * *

The girl with the colourful hair stepped out of her purple portal. The mountain was cold and definitely not hospitable. She straightened her skirt and placed her tiny hands around her shoulders as a freezing gust of wind blew through her. Her shoes were sinking in the wet ground. She could see the snow melting and crashing at the weight of her feet.

"Heyy!", she shouted with her hands around her mouth from the crest of the mountain. The only one that replied to her was the sound of her own high-pitched voice, as it echoed loudly.

She frowned then tried again.

"Hey ya! Where are you you stupid dragon"?

A large figure was hovering above her head, casting its huge shadow over her and putting the mountain side into darkness.

"The prodigal child has returned".

A deep voice said as Zoe lifted her chin to gaze up at the sky. The blue dragon was eyeing her furiously as if it was an angry parent, with his arms folded together. A swarm of shiny stars was circling around his body as the cosmic being was floating in the night air.

Zoe stuck out her tongue irritated.

"So how was school?", the dragon asked mockingly.

"Well. I've made like tons of friends and they're all awesome and I'm really good at class"! Zoe stopped talking when she realized she was babbling uncontrollably again. She cursed herself for being absent minded again. She shook her head.

"Aurelion Sol", she addressed the dragon then took a deep bow before him.

The huge beast raised an eyebrow.

"You must be truly desperate to actually show respect to me. I could get used to this", he chuckled menacingly.

"This isn't the time for jokes doggy!", she jumped into a portal and booped his nose. A second later she was back at the top of the mountain as the dragon stroked his face with his claws.

"Pfft.. What do you want Zoe?", he sighed clearly annoyed. The chain tied to his foot was glowing as it kept him enslaved to mount Targon and subsequently the will of men.

Zoe shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she was bitting her fingernail.

"I need advice. To help my.. friend", she admitted defeated.

"You mean your Darkin friend?", he cackled.

"You know about this?", she gasped surprised.

"The creator of the universe is all knowing after all", he ruffled the flames on his head as if it was actual hair.

"Space doggy!", she scolded him. "Don't be so full of yourself! You're not the center of the universe"!

"Well, technically..", he started to reply but stopped after being met with her angry pout. "Alright. What can I do for you?", the dragon finally complied.

"How do I get rid of the Darkin? People say the last Aspect of twilight got rid of them back then by sealing them into their weapons".. Her hands were behind her back. Her foot shaking nervously against the white snow.

"She did. I saw it".

Zoe's eyes lit up at his response.

"How did she do it? I can do it too"! A playful grin was painted on her face.

Aurelion Sol shook his head then looked up at the stars in the sky.

"Hey look at me!", Zoe yelled afraid of the thought that she was being ignored.

"You can't save your friend Zoe. You will have to seal him along with the Darkin. They have become one now". Aurelion Sol spoke in an absolute tone, freezing Zoe on her tracks in the process.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. "He- He's family Aurelion! I can't just leave him!", she pleaded. Her eyes stung but she had decided that this time she would blame it on the cold. She wouldn't tear up.

The dragon swirled in the air as if he was trying to shake the stars off of him.

"Well. In that case. There might be something", the space dragon scratched his chin.


	52. Shadow Step

Malcom Graves stepped into Headmistress' Fiora's office with audacity.

"Professeur Graves? Qu'est se qui se passe?", the woman asked visibly startled.

"Where's Tianna?", Graves grumbled ignoring all courtesy.

"Madame Crownguard is probably in her chamber. What happened? You seem upset", she stood up from her leather chair and circled around her desk.

The man sighed deeply, then took off his glasses. He gently rubbed his eyelids with the tips of his fingers.

"Things are far worse that we had imagined"...

Fiora let her mouth fall slightly open.

"I'm not following", she spoke in that french accent of hers.

"I.. uh..", the man paused. _I can't let her know it was Jayce who told me. I screwed up once already. I'm not tossing another student under the bridge.._  "An anonymous source has disclosed to me certain details on Lightfeather's alleged murder case". He didn't know if the fact that he was choosing every word meticulously was that transparent.

"A witness? Why hasn't he come forth?", Fiora leant against her desk with her weight on her hand.

"That is none of your concern".

Fiora's eyes lit up at his abrupt manner.

"Respectfully".

"So what does this witness claim?", she scoffed taken aback by his demeanor.

"It appears that the Black Rose might be involved".

"Stop uttering nonsense Graves. The Black Rose is nothing but a myth as far as I'm concerned".

Graves couldn't ignore the look of terror in her face even if he wanted to.

"The witness.. Before the scientist died.. he spoke of a 'pale one'".

Fiora's eyes were fixated in his. He saw her gulp forcefully.

"It can't be.. C'est.. LeBlanc"?

* * *

_Where am I?_

She opened up her blue eyes to find herself surrounded by darkness. She gently raised her hands to rub her temples. Her head hurt. A feeling of dizziness overcame the rest of her senses. The silence was broken by the sound of chains rattling.

 _This is.._ Her hands were shackled. Metallic bracelets were wrapped around her thin wrists. Panic ensued. She couldn't control the loud thuds of her heart that had now been beating irregularly.

Blindly she crawled trying to follow the long chain that was tied to one of her arms. Until she reached a stone cold wall. The floor was damp. She immediately assumed she was in some kind of basement.

She tried to think back. What was the last thing she could remember?  _Right.._  She was arguing with Ezreal. A sting of guilt pierced her stomach. Hiding Kayn's condition from him wasn't the right choice after all..

"Fuck the tournament". Ezreal's words echoed in her head. She knew it was selfish of her but she wanted him to stay. For her sake.

She felt so tired. She had cried herself to sleep that night. She had felt a blow to the back of her head. And that was all. Before she woke up here.

 _I have to leave. I need to leave!_  She wanted to scream as desparation nested within her heart. She wanted to shout at the top of her lungs. Cry out for help. But alas. She was no dimwit. The person who had taken her wouldn't have placed her somewhere where people could find her if she just called out for someone. It was simply no use.

That's what she was thinking when she heard someone close to her let out an angry grunt.

* * *

"I've brought you the mage. I've brought you the Crownguard girl. Don't you think that's enough already?", the pink haired girl clenched her teeth as her fingers wrapped tightly around the handles of her daggers. That was the only way she knew how to comfort herself.

A sly smile graced the pale one's black lips.

"Be patient my dear", she replied mysteriously.

"I've been nothing but patient and co-operative!", she yelled out. "My, my.. Teenagers and their hormones", the pale woman clicked her tongue as she walked away from her. Her long, velvet cape was sweeping the marble floor.

A big statue of a wolf was placed at the center of the room. The ceiling was ridiculously tall. The girl could hear a small echo of her own voice every time she spoke. Heavy, black curtains covered the windows leaving daylight cast away.  
Vladimir stood beside her. His gloomy, white face being lit by nothing but the light of the yellow candles. He wore his school uniform along with a long striped scarf. His white hair gave him an otherwordly appeal.

Even she was surprised at how quickly he had aggreed to follow her here. She'd been prepared to tackle him. Hurt him really bad. Just so he could be there with her. But the pale one's instructions were clear.

"So what is your name this time around? Dahlia? Rosa? Violet?", the boy snickered, as he toyed with the pale one.

Katarina swallowed hard.  _Where is this intimacy coming from?_  She squeezed her dagger behind her back as the pale mage let out an obnoxious yet somehow contagious laugh.

"You're a funny one. It's Emilia", she finally replied. "My predecessors didn't think you were the jokester type. But perhaps you've become too accustomed to the role of the highschool student. Is that it"?

"Is that why you've called me out here after all this time 'Emilia'? For comedy? Just when I thought I was finally done with the Black Rose". A creepy smile settled on his face. If I didn't know any better I'd expect to see some fangs between his thin lips.

"The reason I've called you here, Vladimir, is because I need something from you", the pale one spoke in her soft, nearly seductive voice.

The boy raised his eyebrow in question.

"And what makes you think that I would ever help you or the Black Rose ever again"? Katarina was holding her breath as Vladimir approached the woman. He was sleethering in the room. His steps inaudible. His movements swift and precise. Like a serpent's.  
If anything, he commanded fear.

But the woman didn't even blink even if their faces were inches away from eachother's. Katarina was sure she could even feel his breath against her cold skin.

"Because I have something that you want", she retorted calmly. This time there wasn't even a faint hint of a smile on her lips.

Vladimir sniggered but did not back away from her. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, but loud enough for Katarina to be able to listen in.

"There's nothing you could offer me, woman".

Vladimir's hands were knit together behind his back. His fingers were slick and long.

"Then you're free to go".

Katarina gasped at the sound of the woman's answer.

"You're no prisoner here. You're free to leave whenever you please".

Vladimir's dead expression didn't betray his thoughts no matter how much the pink haired girl had tried to decipher him.

"..Or you can follow me". She carried on nonchalantly as if the boy's choice was completely insignificant to her.

Vladimir turned to take a look at Katarina as the pale one was already walking ahead. His white eyes were enigmatic to her. He huffed out a sigh before he tagged along behind the woman in the dark clothing.

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with herself. She was simply left in there. Clutching her stupid daggers.  _No. I'll take what's mine and then go._  She thought as she followed the mystical figures out the vast room.

They walked through hallways and passed a lot of closed doors. Katarina wondered where she was taking them at every turn. Every door and every wall was painted white. Every door handle was in the shape of a wolf's head. Each hallway seemed identical to eachother.

Katarina DuCuteau was partly relieved to have the pale woman guiding them in this palace. Even she would have a hard time getting out of this place. In her mind, it felt like an endless maze. They were now standing at the top of a staircase that was spiralling downwards. The steps were made of stone. The pale woman grabbed a torch hanging from the wall behind her and urged them to follow her once more.

She turned to look at the white haired boy to realize that he looked just as baffled as she was.

With careful, small steps they descended further into the darkness. Humidity was high. An awful stench made her want to vomit. Katarina quickly covered her mouth with her bare hand and swallowed hard. She couldn't afford to make a fool of herself in this environment. That was simply not an option.

Air currents blew through the cavern-like chamber they were now standing in. The walls were covered with greens. A pool of crystal clear water was taking up the most space in the room. And in the middle of it, a large statue stood tall and imposing. It was a statue of death itself. In accordance to ancient Valoran custom, death was represented as a dualistic in nature. Taking the form of the Lamb of peaceful death and the wolf of violent ends.

Katarina realized her hands were clammy as she remembered the wolf statue she'd seen in the previous room. After all.. In Noxus, the wolf was revered in a much more rigorous way. That was just the way things always were in her homeland.

The girl stood behind the pale woman unable to discern her face. The back of her head was now covered by a black hood. Without notice, she halted right in front of the well and whispered a few words that sounded foreign in her ears.

She looked around the room, expecting for something.. Something.. Anything to happen. The water started to ripple as if someone had thrown pebbles in it. At first it was only a little but as time went by it rippled more and more. To the point that waves as tall as her started to form. Waters splashing. Violently. Covering the stone walls. Drenching them entirely.

Katarina squinted her eyes as a new figure was starting to emerge from inside the water. A flash of silver blinded her vision momentarily. It was a long sword.  _No wait.. This isn't.._  Her mouth was agape as a familiar looking scythe appeared before them. This could have been any weapon if it wasn't for the red, glowing eye. The blade was glistening from the water as it dripped from the edge of its sharp edge.

It didn't take long before the three of them were greeted by a disheveled alien-like form. A broken shell of a man.

Malnurished and deformed the girl stared in awe as Shieda Kayn of the Faceless held his heavy scythe with his razorsharp claws. Half of his face covered with a metallic material. His left eye was now painted scarlet. As if it had taken from him. A tribute to forces unknown to her. It didn't take long for her to realize that half of his torso had been blackened. Like it had been contaminated by a strange disease. His hair was long, unruly, reaching his lower waist.

The water stopped moving at once. Obeying to unheard orders. It was now calm and still. And Shieda Kayn was barely holding onto his feet. Demoting the large scythe from a deadly weapon to a measly crutch.

Her eyes were wide with wonder. She looked over to the pale woman for an explanation.

"Rhaast"?

A deep voice echoed in the cave-like room. She turned to look at Vladimir. A hint of recognition was plastered on his otherwise expressionless face. She kept stealing glances at the two people that had come here with her but she couldn't understand.

"Is this really you"?

She would think that the Doran Academy student was bound to burst into tears by the tremure of his voice alone.

"Shieda?", Katarina took a small step closer to the fountain ignoring the others. Kayn raised his head slowly and looked at her with his different coloured eyes.

"Where am I?", he asked her.

Even forming a question such as this looked like a painful task for the Ionian. Yet still. He held onto the scythe with all of his might.

With a slight wave of the pale one's hand, a thin, golden chain was wrapped around Kayn's neck, making him kneel in the process. The boy grumbled as he fell.

"Now..", she turned to Vladimir with a smile engraved on her lip. "I think you'll be more than willing to do as I ask now. Isn't that right"?

Vladimir was staring at the floor in deep contemplation.

"Don't you want your family back?", the pale woman pouted her lips tauntingly.

The white haired boy was clenching his teeth as he took a deep breath.

"What must I do"? He furrowed his eyebrows.

There was an unprecedented spark behind his white irises. Something that simply wasn't there before.

"I'm glad we're on the same page", the woman offered her most cunning smile.


	53. Death's hand

"Where are you taking me? What is going on"?

The guards opened her cell that morning without answering the frightened girl's questions. Instead they dragged her across what seemed like a luxurious mansion.

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized who her cellmate was. It was none other than Marcus DuCuteau. The former principal of Durrandal's God-Weapon Academy. And Katarina's father.

His clothes were torn and dirty. He seemed like he hadn't eaten in a long time. Luxanna shuddered at the thought of what he must had been through. Mental images of the man being tortured to his breaking point flashed before her eyes. He had been missing for almost a year now. It was a common secret among the school body, but at this point everyone presumed he was dead. But that was something that she would never dare to tell Katarina.

She tried to talk to him. Find out what happened yet the man would only ever let out confused grunts as he was drooling all over his chin. His stare was blank. The redhead could tell that he didn't recognize who she was even if she'd lived just across the street for all of her life. His mind seemed broken.

They had taken her to a large room. She immediately spotted a kingsize bed and a big closet. Every sheet, every carpet and every painting ornating the walls looked way too expensive. The guards ordered her to bathe and get formally dressed before they ultimately locked her inside.

Lux stood at the closed door waiting to hear something. Check if there were any guards posted outside. She needed to try to escape. She could still use her powers but without her staff.. she had no control over it. She might've ended up killing someone innocent or even herself if she wasn't careful with it.

She heard her stomach growl as she sat on the soft mattress.  _Where am I?_  She buried her face in her hands and wept silently for a moment. It didn't take long for her to snap out of it. She took a deep breath, then followed the guards' instructions.

They opened her door without bothering to knock first. Luxanna followed them obediently to wherever it was that they were taking her. She was wearing a long black dress with no details whatsoever apart from a small silver flower embroidered on the center of the bustier.

Luxanna had heard stories about the Noxian usurper. He may not have been in power for that long, yet he had somehow already succeeded in starting wars and conquering lands. All in the name of his vision of a mighty Noxian empire. What she had never seen coming, however, was that she'd ever see the man in the flesh. Let alone live to share the story.

Jericho Swain was standing across the room, looking out a big window. A large table with sets of plates and cutlery was placed at the center.

"Ah the future queen of Demacia! Good to have you here", Swain said casually when he noticed her presence.

Luxanna noticed four chairs around the table, yet the only people there were her and the usurper. She clenched her teeth. Swain wore no sign of rank apart from his scars. A telltale sign of his life as a soldier. His arms were folded in his long, black coat that was draped over his shoulders. His hair were slick and white and his gaze piercing.

Lux felt the tiny hair in the back of her neck stand as she realized how mortal the grand general actually looked.

"Come on now don't be shy have a seat", the man urged her with a smile before he himself took a seat at the head of the table.

Her heart was beating in her ears and an unpleasant knot was stuck in her throat. She wanted to know where she was. What was happening. But for the first time in a while Lux couldn't bring herself to say anything back to him.

"The feast shall begin shortly after the others arrive, just be patient your grace", Swain said in a slightly mocking tone.

"Others?", Luxanna managed to stutter.

"The other guests ofcouse! You surely didn't think you were the only one, did you"?

_I'm not a guest! I'm a prisoner!_

Swain knitted his fingers together. His left arm seemed corrupted. She could see red vains popping out. But she didn't say anything. She had never seen such magic before. Or had she? She remembered of Kayn's Darkin arm as the boy was drowing in sweat on Professor Zed's bed.

The sound of the door opening brought her back to reality. A boy with white hair came in. Luxanna recognized him as her Doran Academy counterpart. The champion of the Mystics. Followed by Katarina DuCuteau.

She unwittingly let her jaw drop when she recongized her friend.  _They got her too?_  Luxanna blinked to stop the tears from stinging her blue eyes.  _Is this all Doran's Academy's doing? Did they set us up?_

"I'm so glad you could join us!", Swain stood up to greet them.

Katarina had a gloomy expression on her face. Lux searched for her hazel eyes but the girl wouldn't face her. Her dress was similar to hers. Swain approached them and placed his hands over Katarina's shoulders as he placed a kiss in each of her cheeks.

The three of them sat down in silence.

"Katarina DuCuteau.. this small gathering would not have happened without you", mused Swain.

_Wait._

Katarina bowed her head slightly to the man.

"Are you pleased with your Darkin Vladimir?", he asked the boy.

"I will be", he replied audaciously, "when he's whole. Then I will do your bidding".

Luxanna gulped in fear. The Grand General huffed a laugh.

"And when is that exactly?", if looks could kill Swain's was it.

"The ritual must be performed during the Blood Moon", explained Vladimir.

_What ritual? Darkins?_

"Grand General", Katarina addressed the man. "I have done my part. When will I get my father back"?

Swain's lips formed a coy smile. Frankly he looked amused.

"Katarina DuCuteau.. You've disappointed me. After all of this.. It turns out you're exactly like your father. A traitor".

"My father isn't a traitor. And I'm not one either", she slammed her fist on the table.

"And what should I call him then? Leaving the empire to become a school teacher and cosy up to filthy Demacians? You and your father have betrayed Noxus the moment you decided to put your family over the empire".

Katarina swallowed hard but remained silent.

"Ah the food is here", Swain rejoiced at the sight of four butlers strolling in the room with a cart filled with goodies. "Dig in your grace", the general said to Luxanna when he noticed that she wasn't touching any of the food placed out in front of her. "I know it's not like Demacian cuisine but you should try it. I think Demacia is a lovely country. Too bad you won't get to rule over it".

_I have to get out of here. Katarina.. what have you done?_

* * *

_I have to get out of here._

Katarina thought to herself as she placed small knives in every spot she deemed smart in her clothing. She was no prisoner here. No guards were placed at her door.

She might have played along all this time and fooled herself into thinking that they would actually give her her father back but now it was over. For real. It wasn't happening. She had to come to terms with it.

Katarina even gave them Luxanna on a silver plate. And she couldn't take her with her now. Undo her mistakes. She mentally cursed herself. She still had a stolen teleport spell with her. But where would she go? Luxanna was back in that heavily guarded jail cell. She was sure of it. Guards were posted around every corner.

 _I need help_. She sighed as she leaned against the wall. The only thing Katarina ever wanted was to be able to do things efficiently and alone.  _And that was a failure_.

 _I have to get her back_. She bit her lip nervously as she was thinking about places she could hide and gather up some allies.

A familiar face popped up in her thoughts.  _Alright then,_  she thought.

Her body was quickly consumed in a purple glow. It looked like the light was consuming her every molecule and the pink haired girl shut her eyes.

A surprised looking Jayce was staring at her with wild eyes.

"I need your help. You owe me that much. I need a place to hide", she explained with as few words as possible.

"Hold on what?", Jayce flailed his arms in confusion.

"Noxus has Luxanna, Shieda Kayn and my father. And they plan an attack on the Demacian crown. We need to get them back before they start a war", she sighed. "I'll need as much help as I can get. I just hope that you have more balls now than you did before".

"Follow me", said Jayce surprisingly boldly. And Katarina tagged along without question.


	54. Inner Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! I know I havent been posting as much lately but the story is ending and I want to be extra careful. That's why I posted two at once (read chapter 53 if you haven't already) Again thank you to everyone for the support!

He opened his eyes with an unsettling feeling in his heart. The blonde boy took a quick look around his dorm room. Kayn's bed was empty. His sheets were a mess.  
Lazily, he lifted his chin and glanced out the window. It was still dark outside.  _Where is that dumbass?_  He pondered as he stood up.

He opened the door without bothering to dress up. His feet were bare but he wasn't cold. The corridor outside was bleak. His footsteps echoed around the place as he let out a paradoxically loud yawn. It was too quiet.

Without notice, he was back in class. Listening to Professor Graves rumbling about why you should never trust the government or something.  _Whatever.._  He searched the room for Lux's smiling face but she wasn't there. All of a sudden, he was alone in an empty classroom.

 _What is this thing even made of?_  Ezreal wondered as he hit the target dummy with multiple mystic shots. Professor Zed was nearby probably lecturing Yasuo on why patience is really important and you can't just "hasagi" your way our of every situation. He huffed a laugh.

"Booya!", he exclaimed when he had finally succeeded in making the mannequin's head explode. But no one was there to cheer him on. Or even tell him to shut up cause he was an annoying prick. A feeling of terror resonated within him.

"Zoe!", he called out the girl's name. He could see the back of her head at the door from where he stood. Her long floating hair almost touched her feet. He rushed over to her and reached out with his hands to grab nothing but air. She was gone.

The bookcases were filled with old, hardcover books. Most of them looked pretty heavy. The walls were ornated with beautiful ancient artifacts. Bright crystals, weapons, even clothing from god-knows what periods.

And there it was. A shining, sapphire crystal on the center of a scarlet gauntlet. He couldn't help but grin at the sight. Eagerly, he put his hands all over the glass case leaving a trail of blurry fingerprints.

He held it with both hands in awe. Surprisingly, it wasn't as light as he initially thought it would be. He wanted to wear it so badly. He put it on his left hand. It was like it fit him perfectly. Like it was originally created with him in mind.

A loud bang coming from the other side of the school library broke his chain of thoughts. He raised his hand. Ready to attack. But the gauntlet was no longer there. And his hand.. it was bare and bloody.

He finally woke up.

His heart was still beating fast. _It was just a dream.._

He looked over to his left hand but the gauntlet was missing. Only then did he remember that he had given it up. He took a deep breath as he sat up in his bed. Well.. It wasn't exactly HIS bed but it was still good enough.

He rubbed his eyelids feeling even more exhausted than before he'd slept. Ezreal dragged his feet over to the bathroom. He opened the faucet and let the water run aimlessly for a few seconds before he washed his face.

He looked over to his own reflection in the mirror. Honestly, he looked like crap. Blonde roots had started to grow and the black dye job was starting to fade. The dark circles under his blue eyes weren't doing him any favors and neither was the constant frown he just couldn't shake off.

He sighed at what he'd become before he stopped the running water and went back to the tiny room. Cans of beer and all sorts of leftover food were scattered around the floor. The smell was even worse but at this point, he couldn't care less.

He'd been closed up in here for what seemed like an eternity already.

Jayce was the last person he'd expected to help him find a hide out but let's be real for a second: it was the last thing this asshole could do to somewhat redeem himself.

And the place was in -you guessed it- Piltover. He was like a cat among pigeons. Who would have ever guessed that someone wanted in Piltover and Zaun would still be there?

 _Brilliant planning Jayce. Really_.

But that was all he had. And hell, he was going to take everything he could get his hands on.

His fingers looked weird to him. He had gotten so used to seeing that gauntlet on him that it felt peculiar not to have it on at this point. But how could he? He didn't need it. He couldn't save Kayn. He couldn't save Lux. And he hadn't heard from Zoe in what seemed like ages. It was useless. It was a good thing he had exchanged it for his stay here.

Apparently, Singed wasn't the only scientist Jayce had been running errands for.

Cecil B. Heimerdinger was also one of them. What the Class President had failed to mention was that he was apparently also a yordle. Ezreal had only seen one in Doran's academy before. Let alone a highly intelligent being with a lab of his own. Quirky little fellow.

Why would this guy not turn a fugitive in and decide to harbor him you ask? Let's just say that his desire to experiment with various (hextech or not) crystals, including the gauntlet's, exceeded his desire to be a lawful citizen.

He was sleeping in a yordle's basement but he couldn't complain. Heimerdinger didn't bother him and vice versa. It was an unspoken common treaty. And he was completely fine with that.

Jayce would come in and tell him a bit of what was going on outside. Both academies were currently closed.  _Good,_  Ezreal thought.  _Let something good come out of this situation._  The students were still missing. Including Lux. There was a sense of heaviness in his heart every time he got the same answer from his classmate.

 _Maybe I should just stop asking.._  And Kayn.. He was still MIA. Just like Zoe. Right now, Ezreal was simply hoping that he wouldn't have to worry about her as well. It was just too much for him.

There was a knock on the wooden, old door.

"Come in", he said but his voice sounded hoarse.

The boy with the black hair lingered at the entrance for a moment.

"Please. Come in. Don't be shy. I'm ready for my conjugal visit", Ezreal said sarcastically.

Jayce scoffed as he paced around the room before finally sitting down. He looked at his hand disgusted when he realized he had unwittingly touched something that used to be edible.

"Someone's here to see you", Jayce said as Katarina DuCuteau's face emerged from the still open door.

Without even realizing what he was doing, Ezreal had picked up a ridiculously blunt knife and rushed over to the girl with the pink hair. The most he could probably do with it was to potentially scratch her throat but it didn't matter. He held the dull blade against her her slick neck.

"Put that thing away or you might hurt yourself", Katarina looked at him straight in his eyes.

Her expression seemed calm yet somehow a bit agitated.

"Oh you're in no position to make threats darling", Ezreal chuckled without backing away. "Now tell me what you did to Lux", he demanded with one hand on her shoulder.

"She's here to help!", Jayce intervened but he didn't bother to stand up from where he sat.

"More than she already has?!", Ezreal's voice cracked but he kept holding onto to that knife with all of his strength.

"Jayce is telling the truth", Katarina DuCuteau carried on.

"How come you two became best buds all of a sudden, huh? Didn't he betray you once? What are you doing here following him?", he gestured over to Jayce with his head.

It was true. What Jayce had told him and Professor Graves that day. Marcus' DuCuteau disappearance was no secret in Durrandal's Academy after all. He was the former principal. The one that had started it all. What wasn't known was that Jayce had witnessed the whole thing when he was running errands for his now-deceased mentor, Singed.

He had been abducted. Yet Jayce didn't testify to cover for his illegal deeds. And nothing remains a secret for too long. Nothing remains a secret when Katarina DuCuteau is seeking the truth.

"I assume you already know", the girl said looking down.

"Damn right I do", Ezreal responded more irritated than before.

"They have my father", she said. Her gaze looked sincere.

"And who exactly is 'they'"?  
"Noxus. And the Black Rose", she retorted in all seriousness.

"The Black Rose?", Ezreal wondered baffled.

He had heard stories about this mythical organisation. Dark magic. Mystical rituals. Brainwashing. But they were just that. The Black Rose was nothing but a myth.

"I need your help", Katarina said. Ezreal took a step back surprised.

"You? You need MY help? And why should I ever agree to that?" he raised an eyebrow. Cockiness crept into his tone.

"Because you want to save Luxanna. Or don't you?", Katarina finally walked into the room and shut the door behind her. "Your white knight syndrome is blantantly obvious".

He unwillingly let out a small grunt at her comment. "And I know you want to save Shieda", she concluded.

Ezreal looked over to Jayce who was now standing next to the girl. His look seemed steady and decisive. The boy nodded affirmatively.

"They have Kayn too?", he asked mostly to himself and the girl gave him a nod of affirmation.

"You're the only one responsible for this mess", Ezreal pointed his finger to the girl. "All of this..", he gestured around the room "all of this is YOUR fault".

"I know", the girl said. Ezreal was taken aback. That was the last thing he expected to hear. "And that's why I'm keen on fixing it". She stretched out her arm. "Are you willing to do that with me"?

Ezreal rubbed his forehead then ran his fingers through his hair. A breath was stuck in his throat. But he didn't give it much thought. "Let's do this", Ezreal shook Katarina DuCuteau's hand.

"Alright.. Who's breaking this to Heimerdinger?", Jayce chimed in. They both looked at him with blank stares. "What?", the boy raised his shoulders. "And dude.. you GOTTA fix that hair. I mean for real", Jayce clicked his tongue.

"That's your priority?!", Ezreal raised his eyebrows.

"Don't we need a plan first?", Katarina asked but the boys paid her no attention. They just kept on bickering about Ezreal's hair. "Ugh.. I'm gonna tell Heimerdinger you're leaving", she started to walk up the stairs. It didn't take long before the boys followed.

* * *

"So you're basically telling me you're planning to charge into the Noxian palace kamikaze style?", Heimerdinger was eyeing the three of them suspiciously.

"Pretty much", Jayce replied indifferently.

"Have you people lost your minds?!", the yordle spun around indignant. "Not that you had much of a brain to begin with but I was somewhat hopeful".

Ezreal sniggered at the scientist's sarcastic jab.

"This is no laughing matter you dirty ape!", Heimerdinger scolded the teenager.

"I'm gonna need that gauntlet back Heimy", Ezreal responded with a cheeky smile.

"Heim-", the yordle let out a soft sigh before he eventually gave up on trying to correct him. "Alright.. I'll give it back".

Ezreal saw his short frame disappear in a back room then come back with a golden gauntlet. He would have assumed it was a completely different one hadn't it been for the bright crystal.

"What did you do to my baby?", Ezreal exclaimed as he took it into his hands and held it.. well.. like an actual baby.

"Well that hot red was fairly conspicuous", Heimerdinger said disgusted.

"And you thought that GOLD was the most discreet option", Ezreal blinked.

"It clearly is an upgrade", he mumbled. "Anyway! My point is.. you three can't even save yourselves. Let alone invade Noxus"!

"If you have any better ideas we'll hear you out", Jayce shrugged.

"Gather up as many as possible. I'd calculate as many as fourty-two people are enough for this sort of operation".

Jayce blinked at his mentor.

"Enough with the fourty-two thing".

"Why? It's the answer to everything"!

"No offence but leave the planning to us, Mr Scientist guy", Katarina quipped. "The Blood Moon is coming up soon".

"If only we had more time", Ezreal sighed as he run a hand through his hair.

Jayce huffed a laugh.

"Don't worry. I know a guy", he winked at his classmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway I hope you guys like these new chapters! Let me know what you think! Any predictions on what's to come next?
> 
> Also did you see that new cinematic? Ughh.. Is it too much to ask for Ezreal and Lux in the same scene? xD Well, I'm just hoping that Jarro Lightfeather will appear in the Lux comics at some point!
> 
> Thank you all for your patience I'm just letting you know I'm working really hard on these next chapters. See you all in the next one!


	55. Redemption

"Seriously Jayce? THAT'S your guy?", Ezreal flailed his arms in despair as soon as his eyes were met with the boy's familiar face.

"Take it easy Jay-El or I might actually be offended by your barbaric manners", Ekko quipped as he ran a finger through his perfectly styled white mohawk. Ezreal face palmed. Hard.

"I know you're the one who set me up Ekko! Now they all think it was me that abducted these people, including the one that's standing right next to me", he said sarcastically. Katarina DuCuteau scoffed annoyed.

"Are you sure about him president?", she asked mockingly with a raised eyebrow.

"You're the ones who asked for more time", giggled Jayce and Ekko joined in half a second later.

Ezreal raised his eyebrows. _Now they're having they're own little inside jokes. Fantastic._

"Jay-El. I mean Ezreal!", Ekko corrected himself. "I'm really sorry about that. Jayce explained to me what happened. But you gotta understand that at the moment you did look shady af", he sighed then placed his palm on Ezreal's chest. "Relax", he offered a comforting smile. "This is me fixing that little mishap".

"And how could you be useful to us? This is going to be dangerous. You might not make it back", Katarina said in the form of a warning.

"Chill lady", Ekko brought his hands behind his head and yawned. "I may or may not have a few aces up my sleeve", he winked towards Ezreal's general direction.

"Well then", Ezreal started, "they better be good. Cause the blood moon's tonight".

* * *

He was lying outside feeling the warm breeze under the hot sunrays. He lifted his palm, trying to block the blinding light that was stabbing his eye. But no matter how he moved, the light persisted. Vladimir let out a soft sigh as he sat up on a patch of dead grass. It was already starting to itch. He tucked a stray tuft of black hair behind his left ear. He could see the apple tree in the distance. Its leaves almost touched the horizon. He squinted his eyes to take a better look at it. Knowing that it would always be there as long as he never got too close was comforting.

"I haven't seen you here before!", a child shouted. She hopped on one foot towards him.

"Stay away!", Vladimir shouted back making the girl freeze in place.

"Why?", she shrugged oblivious.

"Stay away from me or I'll hurt you!", this time he threatened her.

The girl scratched the back of her hair then twirled her fingers around one of her long pigtails.

"I want to be your friend!", she smiled completely unaware of the danger she was in.

Vladimir felt his heart tumbling in his chest. But he knew. He was now finally old enough to understand that he couldn't have friends.

He dragged his feet along the beaten path, following the dozens of footsteps that people had left behind way before he did. He ignored the girl's pleads for him to stop and moved up his pace. If he could get away fast enough she was sure to give up at some point. As they all did. He sprinted all the way to his home. After all, he didn't like the way people were looking at him. And keeping interactions as short as possible was the only way.

"I'm back!", the boy shouted as he wiped his feet on the old rag.

He was greeted by nothing but silence but it didn't matter anymore. He was already used to it. A sense of relief grew within him when he realized he was alone.  
But the peace wouldn't last for too long. This was merely truce.

"Get away! Now!", his father ordered him as soon as he set foot into the small shack. Vladimir stared in disbelief. It took a while before he actually started to move towards his usual hiding place. Staying in the same room for too long was a risk his father was not willing to take.

He lifted the wooden trap door just like he had done hundreds of times before. If not thousands. He hopped into the cellar only to land on the dump floor with a loud thump. After a few seconds he heard the door clang against metal.

"How was your day father?", he cupped his hands and shouted in his boyish voice.

"Same as always", grunted the man.

Vladimir nodded despite the fact that his dad couldn't see him. He heard heavy footsteps on the ceiling before they finally stopped.

"I'm going to fix something up to eat", said the older man in a hoarse voice.

"I'm good", replied Vladimir. He couldn't hear it, but he could have sworn there was a sigh of appeasement as a reply.

The child crawled to the other side of the small cellar, fumbling in the darkness. His fingers felt cold as he touched the half-melted candles and lit one up. Then another one. And another one. Till the room was as bright as the sun that was blazing torridly outside. He allowed himself a small smile. A soft blanket was placed on the floor. Vladimir picked it up and curled up in a ball. He didn't even realize he was already fast asleep, the moment his head was pressed against the hay pillow.

When he'd opened his eyes again, the world just wouldn't be the same.

There was loud knocking on his trap door.

"Vladimir!", his father was yelling his name repeatedly.

The boy barely had time to rub his eyelids as he replied with a simple "yes" still half asleep.

"Did you go to the fields?", he sounded angry. And the boy's reply wouldn't help him calm down in the least.

"Why did you go there?", his father asked. There was a twinge of guilt in Vladimir's stomach. For the first time, the man who had raised him didn't sound angry. Just disappointed.

"I'm sorry father", he whispered but the man heard him loud and clear.

"The fields are dead Vlad", he retorted back. "Every single crop and every single fruit is rotten to the core".

The child swallowed hard.  _But I was so careful.._

"I'm sorry father", this time he shouted. There was a loud thud like someone had just punched the wooden floor.

"Stop. Calling me that".

The boy didn't know what to say so he just remained silent.

"What you've done.. They'll be coming for you. And I won't do anything to stop them this time".

More footsteps made Vladimir's ceiling creak against his father's weight. The boy blew out a candle whose flame was almost touching the ground.

There was sudden commotion on the floor above him. People were talking all together. People were yelling. Vladimir couldn't make out the words. But out of all these voices, he was sure that his father's was a silent one.

"He's an abomination!", a deep voice conquered all the others. "We have tolerated this.. thing for way too long"!

He could imagine his father's head dangling between his shoulders in shame. He thought his eyebrows would be knitted together and his grey eyes could pierce his soul, even if he hadn't seen the man's face in years.

And why would he want to even lay eyes on his son? He was a monster. All his life, that was all he had known.

He wished he could have met with his mother. And see her face. He had always imagined her to be beautiful. Not dashing like the princesses and the elves in the fairytales and the myths, but she would no doubt have a kind smile. He knew that in his heart. She could have been a good mother. If only she had had the time to actually be one. If only she had been lucky enough to give birth to a good son. A son that his father could be proud of.

But reality was very different. He was born with a curse. Him being simply alive was a peril to everyone around him. They made him walk in front of them. Almost a mile away from the angry mob that was keen on destroying him for good. They were just too scared of the curse to get any closer.

Their plan was simple. Appease the gods and get their blessings again, so that their fields would become fertile and rich. The villagers had had enough of the butcher's prodigal son. It was finally time for divine judgement.

Vladimir felt nothing as he kept up a steady pace. Mentally prepared to meet his maker. He wondered what would happen next. He liked the idea of an afterlife as much as the next person despite the fact that his brain told him how ridiculous it sounded countless of times.

His mind was elsewere when he heard an angry swarm of people chant something as he was being tied to a wooden slab. He didn't bother to resist. The sooner this ended the better it was for everyone.

The moon was painted red in a lilac sky. Vladimir closed his eyes calmly as the voices grew louder and louder around him. Their faces were covered with black masks.

Were there really any gods to appease to begin with? The boy pondered as the pious people held their axes, rakes and pitch forks tightly. As if they were hungry for blood.

He felt a cold gust of wind on his exposed body parts. He shuddered as his arm hair stood upright. There was thunder.

Vladimir was already prepared to have the wrath of the sky fall down on him. And it did.

He opened his eyes and saw a man with a black hood hovering above him.

At first he didn't understand. Only when he pulled back the blade off of him and he saw the blood gushing out from his body did the boy realize that he'd been stabbed to the chest. His whole body started to tingle when the man pushed the knife back onto his torso.

The heat was unreal. He'd never felt such intense warmth as this while red blood was oozing out from his fresh wounds. He coughed faintly. He could sense some sort of liquid dripping from his mouth.

The heat he'd felt before was turning into severe cold as more and more blood escaped his frail body.

The man raised both of his hands into the air while still clutching the knife. The child closed his eyes shut as soon as his final motion began. And then there was nothing. Neither warmth, nor cold.

Vladimir didn't exist anymore.

"Pitiful", a deep voice broke the newly found nothingness. "Noone mourns you boy. Get up".

Vladimir opened his eyes. He was still tied to the slab but he wasn't the same anymore. His fingernails had gotten longer than before. His long black hair had turned white. His complexion pale. He lifted his chin to examine his open wounds. Despite the rips in his clothes, his skin looked intact. He saw a large scythe cutting the ropes in his wrists.

A man with with horns and metal armor looked at him with pity. The boy took a look around only to be met with his aspiring executioners' corpses surrounding him. Their skin was dug in. Their eyes turned to white marbles. Like they had been drained of all blood. Vladimir licked his lips. His mouth felt dry. His throat sore.

"Are you.. god?", the boy asked the horned creature.

"I'm a Darkin, boy. Not a god. But close enough", he let out a disturbing chuckle.

"What did you do them?", Vladimir questioned him as he got up with slow movements. His feet were bare.

"I didn't do anything. You did", the Darkin retorted casually. Vladimir could feel the panic nesting in his heart. He wanted to scream.

"Get away from me Darkin! You'll get hurt too!", he could hear his own voice crack at the weight of his words.

There was no turning back anymore. Now he was truly beyond redemption. But the Darkin got down on one knee and grabbed the frightened boy by the hand.

"You have a gift boy", he spoke in all seriousness.

"This.. is not.. This is a curse", Vladimir whispered all that he knew.

But the Darkin smiled at him as he tenderly lifted his chin.

"You have a knack for blood magic", he paused.

"Vladimir", the boy finished the man's sentence.

"Vladimir", the Darkin spoke the name as if he was getting a taste of it in his mouth. "Come with me".

He extended his arm towards the boy. The days never were lonely after he shook the Darkin's clawed hand.

* * *

"How do you have access to all these spells?", Ezreal asked impressed.

"I have my ways", Ekko responded cockily as he handed the three of them the TPs.

"So we just teleport to Noxus?", Jayce clutched his hextech hammer.

"Don't tell me you're already getting cold feet boy-genius", Katarina chimed in as she rubbed the scar in her eye.

"Ofcourse not".

"All I'm saying is you can still back out", she shrugged indifferently.

"No way I'm missing this", Jayce responded with fervor. "I've made certain adjustments to this", he gestured over to his weapon. "I like to see this a testing field trip", he said proudly.

"Well, you do know you might die, right? But on the other hand, that's not my problem".

"Oh come on.. You gotta see the big picture here DuCuteau", Jayce started. "If we succeed here, people are gonna call us heroes. I can already see the headlines", he raised his arms like he was creating an invisible sign "Jayce, the defender of tomorrow.. You gotta admit it has a ring to it"!

Katarina simply rolled her eyes.

"Buckle up boys! And girl", Ekko chuckled as the four of them activated their teleports.

* * *

_It feels like the stars have fallen down on me. There is nothing. Even if the sky turns to stone it doesn't matter to me. Nothing matters. Nothing but the blood moon. There is no heaven up there. And no hell awaits for me either. Why should I fight? Who should I fight for? Myself? That's hilarious. There's nothing in here. Only water. And the sound of my own heartbeat._

Kayn was slowly being submerged in the well. And right now he was at the very bottom. Starting to accept his destiny. After all, God was never on his side. And at the moment, it was only starting to sink in. He was trapped in a small cage. Yet he could breathe with no problems at all. Even if small bubbles escaped his chapped lips.  
I'm literally nothing but a burden to everyone around me. His dark, long hair were floating in the water.

He couldn't control his body. Not anymore. But his mind.. That was a rather sad story. He would really rather not to think. Not to be able to feel at all. There was a gaping hole in his heart every time he recalled Ezreal and Zoe's terrified expressions at that goddamn bar. But he was a killer. What good would it be to deny it right now? He would only be hiding behind his finger. All his life that was all he knew. Kill or be killed. That was all he was good at.

And boy was he tempted. The moment he touched that damn scythe. But in his eyes it looked beautiful. More than any weapon he had ever laid eyes upon. He felt it. He felt the power flowing through his body the moment he made that pact with the demon.

"Will you prove worthy?", Rhaast had asked him back then. And he had proven himself stupid enough to respond cockily to him and agree without ofcourse bothering to read up the terms and conditions.

His hand was immediately corrupted. But no. He was strong enough to deal with some puny demon. He was the great Shieda Kayn after all. Nothing would stop him. Or so he thought.

With a hollow heart and a defeated spirit he watched as a hooded figure appeared before him.  _Why do I feel like I've been here before?_

Everything looked familiar. From the water, to the cage, to the hooded man. It felt like he was in a dream he'd seen before. The man walked closer to him. He was holding a blue, hard-cover book. Kayn thought he'd seen it before but he couldn't remember where.

The man opened the book and paced around him. His long, black cloak made the soil beneath crumble as he walked. Particles of sand started to float around the cage. He stopped right in front of him once he had made a full circle.

"Don't worry. I will free you", the man with the white eyes said. Man? He looked more like a boy. They could be the same age. A glimmer of hope started to light up in Kayn's heart. "Rhaast".

Kayn would have gulped and sighed in fear and disappointment right there and then. But he couldn't. For Rhaast was the master of this body. And Shieda Kayn.. He was nothing but a small voice in the back of his head. He could barely even hear himself if he was honest. Because Shieda Kayn didn't exist anymore. He had no family to seek him anyway. As far as he was concerned no one would bat an eye even if he actually ceased to exist alltogether.

The water pressure started to feel overbearing as the man started to read from a passage in his book. It was a tongue he'd never heard of before. And for some reason, he felt that he shouldn't be hearing it.

Fear started to take over him. He wanted out. He wanted to scream and wail and break through this fucking cage and this useless body. But he was powerless. Rhaast had promised him power. But this. This was far from what he expected back then.  _Why did this have to happen now?_

Ezreal and Zoe's faces flashed before his eyes for a second. Water currents started to become more fierce. Like he was in the middle of a vortex.

He looked at the boy who was chanting loudly. His voice was surprisingly deep. But maybe it was because of all of this water.

He thought he heard other voices chanting alongside him. Like a choir.

His hood dropped to his shoulders. He had short, white hair and porcelain, pale skin. He peeked through Rhaast's eyeholes.

Ash started to fill in the cage as his body started to burn and deteriorate making place for the Demon's rockhard skin. He watched in terror as metal material pricked through his skin and knuckles. New claws were replacing his useless human fingers.

Huge horns were now piercing through his skull. He saw his long, dark hair burn and wither within seconds. An awful stench lingered. The only remnant of his existence.

And the worst part was that he'd felt all of the pain. He couldn't breath. He felt like he was choking. He was being drowned in his own flesh. He looked up at the boy. But he wasn't there anymore.

In his place, a different man was standing.

He had the same winter-white hair but it was longer. Way too long. It reached his feet. His skin was wrinkled. His forehead covered in multiple lines. Dark circles were stealing away his white eyes' spark. His fingers were crooked with incredibly long nails. Even his voice sounded weak. He was skinny with freckles. His body looked remarkably frail. He looked like he was drowning in his cloak at this point.

But he wouldn't stop chanting in this foreign tongue.

Not until his body had been entirely Rhaast's.

* * *

Getting into the palace was admittedly easier than the four of them thought. Katarina could proparly fend off these guards on her own in a good day.  _Wouldn't you think that the Noxian palace would have been a bit more heavily guarded?,_  Ezreal wondered as he fired a mystic shot at an enemy ready to attack Ekko.

"Look out!", Ekko shouted and blinked towards him, wielding a glowing sword. Ezreal immediately ducked and let the boy save him.

The group looked at the bodies scatterred around them on the floor.

"Shouldn't there be more of them?", Ezreal said out loud this time.

Ekko looked at his wrist watch and put on his hood.

"More of them should be coming from that way right about.. now!", he leaped into the space ahead of them straight into a horde of alert guards.

Jayce fired his weapon. A glowing ball of pure hextech energy blew back three of them. Ekko squinted his eyes at him annoyed.

"Hey! Stop stealing my kills!", he yelled.

"I'm no-", Jayce tried to say but he was immediately interrupted by Katarina.

"There are more", the girl said grasping tightly at the handles of her twin daggers. They had been surrounded. "We need to get to the floor below. That's where they have my father and Luxanna", she grunted but her tone betrayed her will to fight.

"Jay-El!", shouted Ekko. "Take us below! Now"!

They all reacted like this was pre-planned. Jayce, Katarina and Ekko placed their hands on Ezreal's shoulders while clutching onto their weapons with the other one.

The faceless boy closed his eyes. He could feel the familiar sense of an arcane shift around him. But he had never attempted one this big. When he opened them he felt dizzy but he was quickly met with his companions' relieved stares. He did it.

"Luxanna!", Jayce said her name in a loud whisper, hoping that the girl would have listened to him. And the others were fast to mimic his actions.

"Ezreal?", a familiar voice answered their calls from somewhere down the hall. The four of them ran towards the source of the voice.

Luxanna was gripping onto metal bars inside a rusty jail cell. But she was there. And she was okay. Ezreal let out a sigh of relief as Jayce was destroying the heavy padlock with his hextech hammer.

"Ezreal!", Lux's blue eyes lit up then her lips turned back downwards in sorrow. "I'm really sorry Ezreal! I should have told you about Kayn.. I just thought-"

"Don't be sorry we're way past that", he interrupted her to wrap her in a heartfelt embrace.

"How did you guys get in here?", Lux asked but she was quickly taken aback by Katarina DuCuteau's horrified glare.

"..D-Dad?", the girl stuttered as she hesitantly took a step forward into the cell.

Marcus DuCuteau was sitting with his back against the wall and his lips pouted in a nervous tic. His gaze was vague. He looked tired and unclean. What's more, his once proud posture was diminished to that of an old man filled with regrets. A former shadow of who he used to be.

Katarina's finger touched her bottom lip as she froze in place. She didn't see it coming but she didn't move when she felt slim arms wrapping her from the back.

"I'm sorry Kat", Lux whispered in her ear as tears started to well up in the pink-haired girl's hazel eyes. Her lip started to tremble but she soon returned to her usual demeanor by shaking her head.

"Don't..", she whispered softly. "I'm the one responsible for this mess". Her voice was steady and clear. "Let's get out of here".

The rest of their suicide squad nodded affirmatively.

Jayce helped Katarina lift her father off the dump ground. The man didn't react to his surroundings. He was simply complying with everything without even recognizing his own daughter.

"Get Kayn first. Then we leave", Ezreal reminded them.

They kept up a fast pace, ignoring the pleading voices of all the other -admittedly scary-looking- prisoners.

He saw a lone guard standing in the next corner holding what looked like a spear. His back was facing them. Ezreal raised his hand making the rest of the group hold.

He then raised his gauntleted hand slowly. Arcane magic started to fill the air, forming a blueish light and in the end, a crossbow made out of nothing but his own mana. Ezreal used his other hand to shoot a blast of energy at the unaware guard, instantly eliminating him.

He then turned to look at Lux's parted lips. He grinned then shrugged as they moved further into the Noxian palace.

"I wish I had my staff. I could be more of help", said Lux almost out of breath as she ran alongside Ezreal. Their hands were knitted together as the two of them led the way for the others.

"Just stick with me and you'll be fine", the boy replied cockily before finishing off with "that's.. not a guarantee by the way".

Luxanna rolled her eyes but still couldn't help but smile.

They finally reached a vast room with a wolf statue in the middle. Ezreal saw white stairs in the distance.

A strange figure stood tall at the top of the staircase. Its head was crowned with two exceptionally large horns. Its skin scarlet and covered with a hard carapace material, much like an armor. And in his hands rested the Darkin scythe. Long, sharpened and dreadful. The eye was glowing ruby red. More than ever before.

"What the hell is that?", Ekko asked. The corners of his lips were turned downwards like he ate some bad food that he was too polite to spit out.

"We're too late", Ezreal replied as the blood moon was offering its alien-like glow through the window, lending the room a terrifying appeal.


End file.
